Heartbreaks and Mistakes
by Miss Eucalypt Writes
Summary: When Ladybug reveals who she turned Chat down for, he couldn't be happier. But being loved for only half of him isn't enough. His plan to truly capture his lady's heart quickly goes awry, and causes heartbreak in the process. Is there any way to solve this mess?
1. Chapter 1

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was pretty pleased with herself. So far, she'd managed to make it through a whole half hour with Adrien, _without_ making a complete fool of herself. Well, okay, she _had_ accidentally dropped her homework onto a plate of pains au chocolat. But it wasn't entirely her fault! Adrien had walked in with Alya and Nino, and his sudden appearance had startled her. Hey, she wasn't perfect! Nobody was!

Well, except Adrien. The slightly smashed pastries were a testament to both Marinette's ever-present clumsiness (ugh) and her love for a certain blonde-haired boy, who just happened to be sitting next to her, scoffing down the aforementioned pains au chocolat like he hadn't eaten in days.

"Jeez, Adrien, slow down!" said Alya with a laugh. "They aren't going to jump of the table if you stop eating."

Adrien swallowed his latest mouthful, setting down the pastry. "Sorry," he mumbled self-consciously. " My dietician doesn't let me have treats very often." He looked so ashamed that Marinette couldn't stand it.

"Hey! I know what we should do!" she chirped, trying not to look at Adrien lest she began stuttering. "I hear there's a cool new exhibit at the Louvre. We should totally check it out!"

Nino looked uncertain, and Marinette remembered his distaste for museums. " Uh.. what's the exhibit on?"

"Ummmm…" _Think, Marinette, think!_ She knew the answer to Nino's question, but she needed to answer it in a way that would convince all of them to go. "Well, it's on Greek mythology," she said slowly, deliberating her answer. She looked at Alya. " I'm thinking there'll be something for the Ladyblog there. Ladybug's thousands of years old, right? After all, she was in Ancient Egypt. Why not Ancient Greece, too?"

Alya frowned, thinking. Then she shrugged, giving Marinette a smile. " All right, girl. I've been looking for a new scoop anyway, and it sounds interesting."

Marinette tried to mask her grin. If Alya was in, Nino was sure to go too. He would do anything if it meant spending time with his girlfriend. And Adrien was Nino's best friend, so that meant….

"I'll come," said Adrien, stretching. "I need to do something energetic anyway, and it sounds fun!"

"Don't get too excited, bro," warned Nino. "It's a museum, not a Jagged Stone concert."

Adrien shrugged.

Alya grinned. "It's a deal, my friends. Up you get, lazybones," she added, hauling her boyfriend to his feet.

"On one condition," said Adrien seriously, gazing at Marinette.

She felt her heart flutter. "W-what's that?" she stuttered nervously.

Adrien grinned, that gorgeous grin that he reserved for friends and never showed the camera, slightly crooked but in the most adorable way possible. "That we get to take the pains au chocolat with us."

A short walk and a bus ride later, the group were inside the exhibition, which had been heavily advertised around the city. As a result, there was loads of people milling around, taking pictures and gazing at artefacts. Marinette and her friends stood around a piece of orange-and-black pottery, which showed two soldiers washing spears.

Alya peered at the vase, phone at the ready. She shook her head. "It's incredible, but not really something to put on the Ladyblog. I haven't really posted anything big in a while, so I need a decent superhero-related story, even if it is just a picture of Ladybug or Chat Noir. Let's check over here." She pointed to a interactive area, where tourists were reading myths and legends from large screens.

Marinette soon lost herself in the tales from Ancient Greece. They were absolutely enthralling, particularly the ones featuring gods and heroes. Marinette could just imagine the dresses the goddesses and queens might have worn, and was tempted to whip out her sketchpad and jot down a few ideas.

She and her friends wandered around, absorbing up all the beautiful statues, artwork, and jewellery. Marinette was practically bursting with inspiration. Alya was not faring so well. So far, they hadn't seen anything remotely Ladybug- related, and the blogger was getting frustrated.

They stopped at a statue of a horse/man combination creature. Reading the plaque, Marinette realised that it was a centaur. As she studied the sculpture, she noticed a young couple standing next to them, gazing at the statue in a way Marinette could only describe as fond. They looked about nineteen, the boy with dark hair and sea-green eyes, the girl with blonde curls and startlingly intelligent grey eyes. As Marinette watched, the boy leaned down to kiss the girl's cheek. Marinette turned away, only to see that Nino had slipped his hand into Alya's. With a sigh, Marinette glanced at Adrien, and was surprised to find that he was also looking at their friends' interlocked hands. Was he wishing that he was holding Marinette's hand like that? Marinette hoped he was, but after a year of friendship and little else, it seemed unlikely.

They continued on, the exhibit ending right in front of the Mona Lisa's gallery. Although they had all seen the famous painting before, Adrien suggested they have a look, simply because they were there.

As they strolled in, they were distracted by a man who was arguing with one of the guards.

"Please, sir, just one look!" he pleaded.

The security guard glared. "I've already told you, it's being mantainenced. Please leave."

The man paid no attention. "Leonardo da Vinci is my idol! Please, I have to see it! It would mean so much to me! SIr, I'm begging you! You can't refuse me! I'm his most devoted fan! No one in the world knows Mr da Vinci like I do! I'm sure he wouldn't stop a fan from seeing his greatest achievement! If he were here, he wou-"

"Stop." The guard stared down at the fellow. "This is the last time I'm going to tell you. The Mona Lisa will be back tomorrow. Now, leave the gallery, or I'll have you banned!"

The da Vinci admirer looked up, shocked. "But you can't do that! I told you, I _must_ -"

"THAT'S IT!"roared the guard. "GET OUT!" He grabbed the man, holding his wrists behind his back. "I'm escorting you out. DO NOT return for a _week_ , or I'll have you banned for life!"

The man fell to his knees, head bowed. Marinette watched, pitying the poor man.

Until she saw the dark butterfly fluttering slowly towards the man. She let out a strangled yelp.

"AKUMA!" she yelled, pointing wildly at the butterfly. Beside her, she heard Adrien splutter in shock, and Alya give a hiss of triumph, having finally spotted a potential scoop. As the security guard scrambled away, Marinette saw a purple glow appear around the victim's face, she and her friends running frantically to raise the alarm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi readers, Miss Eucalypt Writes here! Sorry for not putting this on the first chapter! This is my first ever fic, and I appreciate the time you guys take to read chapters and write reviews. Remember, reviews will help improve my writing and make the story more enjoyable for you! So if you have a spare moment, please tell me how you liked the chapter. Constructive criticism is welcomed! Unfortunately, there may be a few days between chapters, as I have to juggle school, homework (ugh), and sports in between my writing. I apologise for delays, but I will try and update weekly. Thank you, and stay miraculous!**

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette brushed back a lock of midnight- blue hair, clearing the kwami's way to her earrings. As always, she felt the familiar buzz of power gush through her as the spirit of the miraculous entered her. She completed her transformation, twirling into her signature pose- legs apart, fists clenched. The polka- dotted heroine sprinted towards the supervillain, yo-yo in hand.

As she approached the villain, he turned, leering at her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous Ladybug! I've heard of your skill, but you're not much when it comes to looks. Especially compared to this!" He gestured proudly to the small portrait propped up on the wall behind him- the Mona Lisa.

 _He must have stolen it from the maintenance department_ , realised Ladybug. Spinning her yo-yo, she addressed the villain. "Who are you?" she shouted up at him.

He chuckled. "I'm so glad you asked, my dear Ladybug! I always make sure my victims know me before I destroy them! I am Art Critic, and you're going to give me your Miraculous!"

Art Critic certainly looked the part. He wore a dapper navy suit, complete with the classic beret and cravat, plus shiny black dress shoes. His gelled- back hair gleamed almost as much as his shoes, and he carried a gold-tipped, polished oak walking stick. He would have looked pretty ordinary if it wasn't for the fact that he was twelve feet tall, had purple eyes and had a navy-blue mask over his upper face.

"Not likely," drawled a voice from behind Ladybug. "By the way, nice suit! That looks like it belongs on a _cat_ walk."

Ladybug groaned as her leather-clad partner landed lightly next to her, gripping his staff. "Chat Noir, that was truly terrible."

He winked at her. "Nothing but the best for you, my lady. What's the deal with him?" He nodded at Art Critic.

"Not sure," lied Ladybug. She yelled up at the villain. "Why are you so upset? We can talk about it, you know!"

Art Critic's eyes flashed dangerously. "The so-called guards wouldn't let me see my precious Mona Lisa!"

Chat Noir looked confused. "So what's the big deal?" he asked. "She's right behind you, safe and sound!"

"The guards must pay!" roared Art Critic. "And so will you, for trying to stop me!" Quick as lightning, he pointed his cane at them, a flash of light erupting from the end. The two superheroes barely managed to dodge it. It hit a chair behind them, causing the piece of furniture to disappear. The villain snarled, firing more beams at them as objects all around them disappeared. Chat began to twirl his baton, and with a flick of her wrist, Ladybug spun her yo-yo into a glowing pink shield.

For a few minutes, the battle continued, the Art Critic firing at the duo, and the pair skillfully dodging. Neither side could manage to damage the other. Art Critic seemed to realise this, and burst out into the sunshine, Ladybug and Chat in hot pursuit. A crowd was gathered around the glass pyramid, hoping to see the two superheroes in action. Ladybug glanced over, spotting a familiar flannel shirt.

 _Alya._

And next to her, groups of eager reporters, just as keen for a scoop as Marinette's blogger friend. Art Critic saw them too. With a diabolical grin, he raised his cane and began firing at the civilians. Mass panic broke out. Parisians began screaming and running, trying to escape. Only Alya stayed, taking cover behind a bin and continuing to film.

Ladybug turned her attention back to Art Critic. With a flourish, she hurled her yo-yo at the cane, entwining the string around the polished wood. She yanked hard, hoping to pull the cane out of his grasp, but only serving to put herself in the line of fire. With a squeak, she dived out of the way. Nearby, Chat hustled civilians out of the vicinity.

 _Where was that akuma?_

With a frustrated yell, Ladybug hurled her yo-yo up, summoning her superpower.

"LUCKY CHARM!" she cried. A pair of doorknobs landed in her hands. "What am I supposed to do with these?" she said incredulously.

Chat looked over to her, still battling Art Critic. "Whatever it is, you better figure it out fast!" he yelled.

Ladybug gritted her teeth. She heard her name called, and glanced over. Alya was waving frantically at her. Ladybug ran over, somersaulting over a blast of light.

"Ladybug! The akuma's in his top pocket! It's a photograph of the Mona Lisa!" hissed Alya.

Ladybug could have hugged her. "Thanks!" She pulled out her yo-yo, but accidentally dropped it. As she bent to pick it up, a flash of light beat her to it, and the yo-yo disappeared. "No!" cried Ladybug. "But it's unbreakable!" As she stared at the ground, Chat landed next to her.

"Where's the akuma?" he asked urgently.

"Photo in his top pocket," replied Ladybug. She pulled out her Lucky Charm, and scanned the area. A smile spread across her face. "Got it!" Ladybug tumbled over to the pyramid entrance, snatching up the thick velvet rope used to keep the ticket lines orderly. She grabbed her door knobs, and tied one to each end of the rope. "When I bind his hands, snatch the photo and break it," she explained to Chat. With terrifying accuracy, she hurled her makeshift bolas at Art Critic's hands, binding them together so he couldn't aim his cane. Chat jumped up, grabbing the photograph and ripping it as he sailed through the air. With a quick "Miraculous Ladybug!", Ladybug had her yo-yo back, and purified the butterfly. After sorting out the victim and returning the Mona Lisa photo to him, it was time to bug out.

As she was about to zip off to change back, a clawed black glove grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" cried Chat Noir. "I've got something important to ask you."

Ladybug put a hand to her earring as it beeped. One minute. She brushed off her partner. "Not now, Chat."

Chat sighed. "It's really important," he insisted. "I'll meet you tonight at the Eiffel Tower, at six."

"We'll see. Bug out!" Ladybug rushed off before her transformation released.

Chat Noir would just have to be disappointed.

 **A long one today! Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! Don't worry, the plot will pick up in the next few chapters. It may be a little slow, but I promise I'll deliver!**

 **Eventually :).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi readers! I know I'm updating a lot lately, but there's been a break in homework and I thought I'd take advantage of it. Before I start, there's something I have to clear up. A few of you have asked about the background of this fic. This story is set around the same time that 'Glaciator' is, HOWEVER, despite being after all the current season two episodes (as of February 8, 2018) , the only episodes in season two that are really relevant to this story are 'Glaciator' and 'Dark Owl'. I know I told some readers that Plagg and Tikki don't know the identities, but I realised that would create a massive plot hole. So yes, Plagg and Tikki know the identities, and Adrien does NOT know that Ladybug loves him (yet!). I promise that will clear up in the next few chapters. Thanks for reading!**

"-serious, Nino! Art Critic really did zap me! But I'm fine now, thanks to Ladybug."

Adrien skidded around the corner just in time to hear Marinette's explanation. He jogged up to the group, panting.

"Bro!" Nino crushed him in a very Nino-ish bear hug. "What happened to you?"

Adrien's eyes flicked over to Marinette, then back to Nino. "Uh, same as Marinette! That Art Critic guy zapped me too!" he lied, hoping that it sounded convincing. Plagg was always saying that he was a terrible liar.

Nino studied him for a moment, and Adrien held his breath. Finally, he nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Glad you two are okay. Well, I don't know about you guys, but I reckon we've seen plenty of this _cool new exhibit_." He raised an eyebrow at Marinette.

She flushed. "Hey! How was I supposed to know that there'd be an akuma?"

"It's fine, Marinette," soothed Adrien. "It wasn't your fault, and it was a good idea."

Alya glared at her boyfriend, slinging an arm around Marinette's shoulders. "Nino, shut up. Come on, girl." With a toss of her rust- coloured hair, she and Marinette led the way out of the museum.

Adrien smiled. This really had been worth coming to. His friends were fine, he'd had a good time with them, and nothing was damaged. Plus, he scored a sort-of-not-really date with his lady.

Six o'clock couldn't come fast enough for Chat Noir.

Marinette fed the fabric under the needle, expertly removing pins as her beloved machine hummed away. She'd been working on this project for a while now, and she was delighted to see it finally coming together.

Tikki hovered nearby, nibbling at one of her favourite chocolate- chip cookies. "What are you working on, Marinette?" the kwami asked, her reedy voice squeaking slightly at the last syllables of her chosen's name.

Marinette examined the stitches she'd just sewn. "It's my dress for the Valentine's Dance, Tikki. I want a dress that's original, not just from some clothing store. It has to be _really_ special, or Adrien might not notice it!" explained Marinette.

"Can I see?"

"Sure." Marinette carefully removed the garment from the machine and spread it out onto the floor. Tikki flew over to gaze at it.

"It's beautiful, Marinette!" admired the pink kwami. "That colour matches your eyes perfectly!"

Marinette laughed. "That was my intention, Tikki. Do you think Adrien will like it?"

Tikki nodded. "He'll love it!" she cried enthusiastically. The little kwami glanced at the clock. Half-past five. "Marinette, are you going to meet Chat Noir?"

"Hmm?" Marinette was engrossed in her dress again.

Tikki flew over and prodded her. "Marinette! I said, are you going to meet Chat Noir?"

"What?" asked Marinette, looking over. "Oh, right. No, I didn't plan to. Why do you ask?"

Tikki stared at the young designer. "Marinette, he said he had something important to ask you! It would be extremely rude not to go see him!"

Marinette shrugged, going back to her work. "Knowing Chat, it's probably an invitation to dinner or something. Why is this so important to you?" It was normal for Tikki to give her chosen advice, but Marinette had never seen her so agitated before. Especially not over _Chat Noir._

Chat Noir. What could Marinette say? He was a great fighter, kind, loyal, brave, and probably very good-looking, too. But Marinette found it difficult to see him as more than her flirting, pun-loving, leather clad partner, especially as her heart belonged to Adrien.

Tikki sighed, wishing that Marinette could see who was under that mask. But she restrained herself. "I just think it's important," she insisted.

Marinette exhaled. "I really need to finish this, Tikki. I'll be studying for tests for the rest of the week, and it's really imp-" She stopped short when she caught sight of her kwami's expression. "All right, fine," she relented. "But only for you, Tikki. And if that cat doesn't get to the point, I'm leaving faster than you can say 'bug out'!"

Minutes later, Ladybug was zipping over the rooftops of Paris, falling into the familiar pattern: throw the yo-yo, pull, swing up, pull back the yo-yo, throw it. She swooped up and down, every tug getting her closer and closer to the Eiffel Tower.

With a minute to spare, the red-suited heroine landed lightly on the heavy iron beams. Chat Noir jumped up from his cross-legged position that was precariously close to the edge of the structure.

"Cutting it close, my lady," he grinned, taking her hand and pressing his lips to it. "I was worried that you'd decided to stand me up."

Ladybug ignored Tikki's sing-songy "told you so'' in her mind. She also ignored the uneasy feeling in her stomach that had very much to do with how close she had come to 'standing him up'. She folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin, not meeting her partner's eyes. "Well, what do you want?" she said testily.

Chat looked surprised. "Meow-ch! You've got quite the tem _purr_ tonight, m'lady!" he joked.

Ladybug scowled at him. "Cut it out, Chat. Your puns are awful." She knew she was being snappish, but she was really annoyed. She had used valuable time to meet with Chat, and all he could do was make stupid puns, most of which hadn't even been funny the _first_ time he'd used them. She'd had enough!

"Come on, Bugaboo, you know you love them!"

 _I'm_ so _out of here_. Ladybug drew her yo-yo and began spinning it, preparing to swing away. "You've got five seconds, Chat. Get to the point or I'm leaving. Five, fou-"

"No, don't!" Chat grabbed her arm and gave her the big pleading eyes. Ladybug was used to receiving this look from Manon Chamack, but it was more than a little disconcerting when Chat did it, especially with his glowing green cat's eyes. "I'm sorry, Ladybug! I promise I'll stop. Please don't go!"

He looked so stricken at the thought of her leaving that Ladybug softened. She stopped her yo-yo and turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Chat. This just wasn't the best time for me, so I got cross with you." She sighed, and gazed out at the twinkling lights below them. Paris really was beautiful at night. It was a pity she wouldn't have much time to really appreci-

"LB?" Chat waved a hand in front of her face. "I asked you a question."

"Hmm?" Ladybug was jolted out of her reverie. "Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

Chat shook his head, chuckling fondly. "I asked if you were busy tonight."

"Yeah… kind of. There's this thing coming up, so I've been designing this dress for it, so I was sewing it together and-" She pulled up, very conscious of the information she'd just let slip.

Chat Noir was studying her intently, hanging onto her every word. "So you sew clothes?"he asked, interested.

Ladybug flushed, silently cursing herself. _Dammit, Ladybug. You know you can't let him know_ anything _about you!_ "I shouldn't have said that."

Chat Noir shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I respect your privacy. It's just…." He hesitated. Ladybug could see that he was worried that he might anger her.

"What is it, kitty?" she asked, voice gentle. She was glad that he respected her privacy, but was very aware of the _but_ that was coming.

Chat Noir ran a clawed hand through his hair, making it even messier than usual, though Ladybug kind of liked it untidy. It was cute.

 _Stop it, Ladybug!_ she scolded herself. _You like Adrien, remember? Not Chat. Chat is just… Chat. Nothing else._

Chat Noir's words jolted her back to reality. "The reason I asked you to meet me. I- I wanted to know who you, you know, turned me down for."

Ladybug tried to say something, but he held his finger to her lips, effectively silencing her. "I know you didn't want to tell me," he continued. "But what are the chances that I'll even know him? I just thought, well, you kind of rejected me. And I know you didn't intend to hurt me, but it doesn't always work like that. And I'm sorry for making you guilty. I know you didn't mean to do it. You're too perfect for that." Chat gazed into her eyes, stirring her emotions into a churning mess.

Ladybug's face suddenly felt hot. Since when had Chat Noir made her blush? _Well, to be fair, he did say you were perfect._

Nobody had ever called her perfect. Not even Alya. And yet Chat Noir had. _What does he see in me?_ wondered Ladybug. _Would he still think I was perfect if he knew who I really am?_ Suddenly a horrible thought struck her.

 _What if he's only saying it to guilt me into telling him?_ Ladybug knew her partner was clever, and was definitely smart enough to manipulate people. And his ability to charm people was definitely there, even if it didn't usually affect her. After all, he did have most of Paris' teenage girls under his spell. But Chat wouldn't do that to her. He was too sweet. Or would he?

 _Ugh._ This was too hard. Was she overthinking it? She was a pro at that, after all. _Focus, Ladybug. Just talk to him._ She took a deep breath. Calm. She was calm. She could do this.

"I truly am sorry for hurting you, Chat. I never intended to. And- and, about me telling you…..well, I suppose you do deserve to know. And, well, he's kind of famous…. So it probably couldn't hurt. But I just…. Are you sure you want to know?" She held Chat's gaze, determined not to back down. _Don't blush. DO NOT blush._

Chat looked at her, never once blinking. He nodded. "I'm sure."

"Okay the-"

"Just as long as you're happy," he continued. "That's all I want, Ladybug."

"Right," mumbled Ladybug. _Why did he have to say that? WHY?_ "Okay, I'll tell you. The boy I like is-" Ladybug held her breath, gathering her courage, "-Adrien. Adrien Agreste."

This time, there was no way she was meeting her partner's eyes.

Not even for a second.

 **Another chapter done! The plot is starting to pick up, and I would really love it if you let me know how I'm doing and how I could improve, please leave a review! Every single one counts, and helps me become a better writer, which means a better story for you to enjoy! Thank you all so much!**

 **P.S. Good job to tinang-asul, who spotted Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians/ Heroes of Olympus series! I snuck them into chapter one because I. Ship. THEM!**


	4. Chapter 4

Oxygen was like the next episode of his favourite TV show, thought Chat Noir. When he needed it most, it wouldn't come.

He tried to breathe deeply, but his heart felt like he'd just run a marathon. He hoped desperately that Ladybug wouldn't notice, because his identity was at stake here if he let out the euphoric whoop he was restraining.

However, Ladybug wasn't looking at him. Not even a tiny peek through her long eyelashes. Her head was bowed, the lights of the city reflecting in her glossy hair.

"Ladybug?" he asked gently, managing to hold back the urge to scream ' _I'm Adrien!'_ and let his transformation drop. Even a palaceful of camembert wouldn't quench Plagg's fury if he did something like that.

She didn't lift her head, and Chat Noir thought he saw a tiny tear splash down her face and onto the beam they were standing on.

He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and touched her shoulder. She flinched like he'd poked her with a cattle prod. Chat snatched his hand away. He didn't know what to do. He had virtually no experience when it came to girls and their emotions. Finally, he sat down on the edge of the tower, where he'd been perched before his lady arrived. Maybe he'd just found out that the love of his life returned his feelings (well, sort of), but if Ladybug was hurting, he would do anything for her.

He heard a sniffle from behind him, then a whisper as delicate as a china teacup. "I'm so sorry, Chat Noir. So, so sorry."

He spun around in surprise. Ladybug was in the same position, except from this angle, Chat could tell that she was definitely crying. He scrambled to his feet, and approached tentatively. "Ladybug, you don't have to apologise."

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed silently. "Yes, I do." Her voice barely qualified as a whisper, so quiet Chat wouldn't have been able to hear it if it wasn't for his cat-like senses.

"No, Ladybug. You don't," soothed Chat. He wanted to help her. He hated to see her cry, and felt guilty of being so happy while she was so clearly not.

She sank to her knees, and Chat Noir sank with her. Finally, Ladybug looked up at him. Her lovely blue eyes were shining with tears, and silvery streaks tracked down her cheeks. She looked so heart-wrenchingly beautiful in her misery that Chat's chest ached. "But I hurt you, Chat Noir. Of course I have to apologise. You're my friend."

"You didn't hurt me," said Chat with a smile.

Ladybug wiped at her tears with her gloved hand. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better, Chat Noir."

Impulsively, Chat reached out and grabbed Ladybug's slight shoulders. Ignoring her flinch, he made her face him. "Look at me, Ladybug. I swear on my life, you didn't hurt me. Please stop crying."

Ladybug stared at him, tears giving way to disbelief. "Chat, I pretty much rejected you. _Again._ How could you not be hurt? After what you said earlier, well, I understand your feelings," she said. "And I'm sorry that I can't accept them. I really am. But I've loved Adrien for a long time now." She groaned, and punched herself. "Sorry. That last part was really insensitive. Maybe I should leave."

"No." His voice was calm, measured, in control. His emotions were not. _I've loved Adrien for a long time now._ Adrien. Him. Ladybug loved _him_. "Stay, Bugaboo. I've got some questions."

Ladybug stared and the ground, then shrugged. "I owe you at least that. Shoot."

Chat smiled to himself. Finally, some answers.

 _Don't push your luck, kid,_ warned Plagg. He didn't often speak up when Chat was transformed.

 _Yeah, yeah,_ he thought back. Turning his attention back to his lady, he cleared his throat. "So, first question,' he began. "Is Adrien your boyfriend?"

Ladybug spluttered. "No way. He doesn't even know I exist."

 _Interesting_. "A fan crush, then?"

Ladybug sighed. "That was an exaggeration. I see him a lot, but he doesn't return my feelings. Not exactly a fan crush, but I don't like him just because he's famous, you know. And if that's the time, I have to go." She was looking at her yo-yo, which was in phone mode. Ladybug stood. "Bye, Chat. Thanks for talking. I'm sorry for what I did."

Chat sighed. "For the last time, you did nothing wrong, LB. Stay safe." He hugged her quickly, before he could lose his nerve.

For a moment she was stiff as a board, but then she relaxed into him. The rise and fall of her chest pushed against his ribs, and her pigtail tickled his neck. She smelled of fresh bread and lotus, a pleasant mix of familiar and exotic.

Chat never wanted the moment to end, but he released her. She smiled up at him.

"Goodbye, Chat Noir. See you soon."

She swung off into the night. Chat watched her red spotted form dip and rise gracefully until she disappeared from view. Damn, he loved that girl.

And she loved him back.

Marinette flopped onto her desk chair, head spinning almost as much as the chair. "I'm a horrible person, Tikki," she whimpered.

Tikki zoomed over. "No you're not, Marinette! We all make bad choices sometimes. It'll be fine," said the pink kwami reassuringly.

Marinette gazed at the ceiling. "I broke his heart, didn't I?"

Tikki may have been Creation itself, but right now she really felt like breaking something. Far from breaking his heart, Marinette had probably made him the happiest boy in Paris. How could she be so oblivious?

Tikki forced herself to stay calm. Marinette must never know about Chat Noir's true identity. Tikki was a stickler for the rules, even if it did mean lying to her chosen. "I'm sure you didn't break his heart. You could never do that, Marinette. I'm sure Chat understands."

Marinette slid off her chair. "It's been a long night, Tikki," she yawned. "I think I'll go to bed."

Tikki gave her an encouraging smile. "Good idea, Marinette. Try not to dwell on it, or you'll never get any sleep."

"Got it," came a muffled voice from Marinette's loft bed.

"Can you _please_ go to sleep?" begged Plagg. "I'm tired."

Adrien leant against the window, gazing at the city lights. He was too wired to sleep. "Ladybug loves me, Plagg," he said dreamily, for the tenth time that night.

The little kwami snorted. "Already covered that, kid."

"You don't understand! She said it herself! Adrien Agreste! She loves Adrien Agreste! Me!"

"Go to sleep, lover boy," growled Plagg.

Adrien stared off into the distance. As Plagg watched, his chosen suddenly went very pale.

"Adrien?" Plagg flew over. "Do you need some cheese? You're looking a little pale."

The model looked at him. "She loves Adrien. Not Chat Noir."

The tiny cat rolled his eyes. "Oh, for cheddar's sake. Get over it!" he snapped. Lack of sleep usually made Plagg cranky, but this was a lot even for him.

"She shouldn't like me, Plagg."

"Oh, please. If you start banging on about how you're not worthy of her, I'm going to throw up," he sneered.

Adrien looked devastated. "Listen to me, Plagg! Ladybug shouldn't like Adrien. She says she sees me a lot, so she must know me, right? But- but Adrien isn't who I really am! When I'm Chat Noir, I can speak my mind! Do what I want! Act how I want! I don't have to be Gabriel Agreste's precious perfect model son! I can be _me_! So why does she like Adrien, not Chat Noir?"

Plagg just stared a him. "I'm pretty sure you're suffering from split-personality disorder. Maybe you should stop referring to yourself in third person."

"Plagg! I can't let Ladybug fall in love with me! It has to be Chat!"

"Better," said Plagg lazily. "But please don't tell me you're jealous of _yourself_. I don't know if I can deal with you if you're suffering from schizophrenia."

Adrien just looked confused. "Okay. But she can't fall in love with me as Adrien!"

"Too late," said Plagg sleepily. "She's fallen for you hard. Good luck stopping her."

Adrien groaned. "She can't, Plagg. I have to stop her. But I think I'm going to need a plan."

 **Hi readers! I'm back! Sorry for not posting for a while! I had a hectic weekend, but I'm here now. Secondly, sorry about the cliffhanger! I really didn't mean to, but I'll try to make it up to you, my wonderful readers! Also, unfortunately my computer suffered a glitch that made all my reviews disappear, but they reappeared today and I was finally able to read them! Thanks to all those who posted a review! And yes, that was Percy and Annabeth, because they are amazing! I honestly can't tell you how happy those reviews made me, but your words made my day so much better. Please, please leave reviews, as they are the camembert to my inner Plagg! Thank you all so much!**


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was most definitely not known for waking up early. Nor was she known for being particularly nice to whoever caused her to wake up. All her family and friends were all too aware of this fact, as most of them had suffered her wrath in one way or another, whether it was on sleepovers, camps, or just from being in her class.

This being said, it was an extremely risky move when Alya Cesaire decided to call Marinette at six o'clock in the morning. While this wasn't a very early hour for her, it was certainly an early one for Marinette, who was notorious for hitting the snooze button on her alarm.

"Ugghhhhhhh," groaned Marinette, her face buried in her pillow. She reached out for her ringing phone clumsily, managing to knock a book and a hairbrush off the ledge. She lifted her head to check the caller ID. "Seriously, Alya?" she grumbled as she pressed the 'pick up' button, causing her best friend's face to appear on the screen.

"Alya, what the heck?" Marinette glared at her bespectacled friend.

Alya rolled her eyes." Chillax, girl. It's not like I woke you up at midnight. Anyway, I'm doing you a favour."

"How?" Marinette could tell she looked terrible just by glancing at her smaller image on the screen, whether as Alya looked as fresh as a daisy, and way more awake than Marinette.

Alya smiled knowingly at her. "You forgot that we have a committee meeting this morning, didn't you?'

Marinette stared blankly.

Alya shook her head fondly, a small smile playing on her lips. "Girl, girl, girl. What am I going to do with you?"

Marinette was in no mood to be teased. "Well, you could tell me what the hell you're talking about, for starters," she snapped.

"The Valentine's Day Dance committee meeting, Marinette! Seven o'clock sharp! And Adrien's going to be there!"

Marinette's drowsy brain short-circuited. Did Alya say _Adrien_? Marinette took a desperate look at her reflection again. "Gahhhhhhh!" she shrieked. "I. LOOK. AWFUL!" Maybe it wasn't completely true, but to Marinette it was. She glanced wildly at her grinning BFF. "Thanks! See you! Bye!" She hung up and started to panic even more.

With none of her alter-ego's grace, Marinette scrambled down from her loft bed, landing with a thump on the floorboards. She skidded over to her pink dressing table, and gazed into the mirror.

This was very, very bad.

Dark smudges underlined her slightly bloodshot eyes. Several pillow creases slashed across her pale face, and to top it all off, Marinette was suffering from a severe case of bed hair.

Who in the world had the _stupid_ idea to schedule this meeting so early in the morning?

Marinette groaned loudly. "I hate my life."

Tikki zoomed out from her hiding spot. "Calm down, Marinette! With a bit of help and focus, you'll be up to your sparkling best for Adrien!" she squeaked enthusiastically, showing no trace of fatigue (unlike her mistress). "Let's get to work!"

Marinette quickly brushed her hair into her trademark twin tails, shaping them with the help of some hairspray. Tikki deftly arranged the two strands that stuck out of each tail, completing her chosen's favoured hairstyle.

Next was the hard part. Marinette splashed cold water on her face, and tried to smooth out her pillow creases. With a sigh, she pulled out the makeup set she'd been given for her birthday. Makeup wasn't really her style, and Adrien had said in an interview that he preferred natural, but this was an emergency. Marinette used her kit's contents to cover the early-morning imperfections on her face, then after a moment's hesitation, added a sweep of gloss to her lips and mascara to her eyelashes.

"Looking good!" said Tikki happily. "Now you need an outfit and breakfast, and you're good to go!"

Marinette rushed over to her closet. She could play it safe and go with her usual t-shirt, jeans, and jacket, but something told her that it would be a good idea to draw attention away from her face, as she was no pro when it came to makeup. She selected a frilled white blouse embroidered with pink roses, her usual pink jeans, and a pair of pale pink ballet slippers. She twirled in front of her mirror, making sure everything was perfect.

"You look beautiful, Marinette!" admired Tikki. "Now we should think about breakfast."

Marinette nodded, checking the time on her phone. She toppled back. "Ahhh! I'm late!"

She snatched up her school bag and purse, letting Tikki fly in safely, then sprinted downstairs.

"Marinette!" Sabine looked surprised as the bluenette burst into the kitchen. "It's unlike you to be up this early. What's go-"

"Meeting-school-late-gotta-go-bye!" Marinette grabbed a croissant as she ran past her bewildered mother and sprinted out the door.

Backpack thumping as she ran, Marinette dodged pedestrians and tried to bite into her breakfast at the same time. She leapt up the stairs at the school entrance and finally skidded through the doors of the classroom, panting.

A peal of laughter cut through the dull chatter as Marinette caught her breath. "Late again, bakery girl? What did you trip over this time?"

It was Chloe, the snarky blonde who for some reason had it out for Marinette. The pigtailed girl glared, then straightened up. "I didn't trip over anything, Chloe."

She sneered. "Yeah, right. You probably had to pick that food up off the ground half a dozen times on your way over here!" She and her red-haired friend, Sabrina, laughed.

Marinette was about to snap back when a voice interrupted her. "Chloe, was that really necessary?"

Marinette just about fainted. Adrien was standing up for her!

"Ugh, whatever," muttered Chloe.

Alya cleared her throat. "Okay, guys. Let' get this show on the road. Item one on the agenda-"

"Wait!" cried Chloe, standing up quickly. "I had the most amazing idea last night! I'm sure you'll all love it." She flipped her perfect ponytail. "We should totally have a masquerade ball! And Ladybug and Chat Noir should totally be invited, because hello, they basically invented masks."

Everyone stared at Chloe, then at each other.

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea, for Chloe," said Nino.

Several others muttered in agreement.

Alya shrugged. "Well, it's not the best timing, but I agree. Ladybug and Chat Noir would make for great celebrity guests, and the mask thing would be fun."

"Ladybug's like my BFF! I could totally get her to come!" added Chloe.

 _Yeah, right_ , thought Marinette.

 **Hi readers,**

 **Sorry for not posting lately! I had some sporting commitments that got in the way. Yes, this isn't the most interesting of chapters, but I'll try to do a really good one next time to make up for it. Someone asked why one of the genres was 'Angst'. Well, my dear readers, you'll just have to wait and see! (Cue evil Hawkmoth laugh). This is my first fanfic, remember, so I'm not the best at this. But I promise to try my best to bring you an enjoyable story.**

 **Yes, I know I keep asking for reviews, and it's probably REALLY ANNOYING, (but then again, I do excel at being annoying) but they're really important to the story. There are over a thousand people who are reading this, and only nine of them bothered to leave a review. I'm not saying you have to, and I'm sorry for being annoying, but thank you soooo much to the people who did leave a review. Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

Adrien Agreste was good at many things. Fortunately for him, multitasking was one of those talents.

The blonde model was seated at his desk, beside his best friend Nino. In front of him, Ms Bustier lectured the class on poetry techniques. His classmates were taking notes, furiously scribbling away, the noise of pens on paper almost drowning out the city noises from outside.

Adrien, however, wasn't taking notes, though everyone was under the impression that he was. This was because Adrien too was scribbling in his notebook, and making frustrated expressions every now and then. Despite this, Adrien was actually forming a plan, and writing the phases of his plot down, not the definition of anaphora.

Admittedly, this was a risky move. A quick skim of his page would be enough for anyone to realise that he wasn't taking notes. But Adrien was confident that he could get away with it, despite that he was a terrible liar. He possessed the uncanny talent of being able to listen while doing something else- at least enough to vaguely recall what had been said.

Ms Bustier stopped talking, leaving the class time to finish off their notes. Adrien checked his watch and began to pack away his belongs, seeing that the bell was about to ring.

"Remember to finish chapter twelve by tomorrow, class," called the teacher over the trilling of the bell. "Have a good evening!"

Adrien waited as Nino haphazardly stuffed his things into his bag. His classmates streamed past him, eager to get off campus. A boy in a red hoodie and a shorter one with glasses stopped in front of Adrien and Nino's desk. The tall one rested his elbows on the flat wooden surface, and Adrien caught the heavy scent of sports deodorant.

"Hey, Kim," said Adrien, tone light and friendly. He was on good terms with the arrogant class jock. Nino, on the other hand, was less polite.

"Yo, K-dog, you know that deodorant isn't something you bathe in, right?" slurred Nino.

Adrien, sensing that the situation was about to become as heated as his ensuite spa bath, quickly mouthed the words _code blue_ at Kim and Max. It was the code for when Nino had had a long night as a DJ and was suffering from lack of sleep. The class had quickly found that tact was the right way to go around the tired DJ, instead of screaming," YO! NINO'S GOT RAGE!", which one junior student had found out the hard way.

Kim and Max nodded discreetly, and continued like nothing had happened. "So, Adrien," began Kim. "You got a date to the dance yet?"

There was a slight squeak from behind Adrien. He turned to see Marinette packing her bag, face slightly red.

"Sorry," she muttered. "Coughed." Her cheeks were steadily reddening.

Adrien gave her a smile. "No problem." He turned back to the others. "No, Kim, I haven't yet."

The athlete winked at him. "Got your eye on any _particular_ lady?"

 _Yes, and her name's Ladybug,_ Adrien wanted to say. But if it got out that he was in love with Ladybug, the press would be all over it. He could just imagine the headlines. Instead, he went with, " Not really. You?"

To his immense surprise, Kim went red as his hoodie. This kind of facial colour was what Adrien would expect from Marinette, so it was an unusual sight, for sure.

"Uhh….," stuttered the tall boy nervously. "Well.. I kinda wondered if you could help me with that. Could you maybe put in a good word for me with Chloe?"

"Chloe?" Adrien did his best to keep a poker face. "Um, sure, Kim."

"Thanks, bro." Kim fist-bumped the model, unable to keep the huge grin off his face. He and Max left.

There was a snicker behind Adrien and Nino, who had been following the conversation with a slightly dazed look on his face. They both turned.

Alya and Marinette both stood there, giggling. They'd obviously been listening in to Adrien and Kim's exchange. Adrien didn't really mind. It wasn't like they'd been _trying_ to be private.

Alya shook her head. "Poor guy," she said, tilting her head to the door. "He doesn't know when to quit, does he?"

"Give him a break," replied Marinette. "If he's really in love, then we should applaud him. Besides, _you_ didn't quit and you got your guy." She sounded kind of wistful. Adrien wondered if she had a crush on Kim.

"True," conceded Alya. She smiled slyly at Adrien. "So, Agreste, were you telling Kim the truth? Or is there a special someone for the model? Don't worry, we won't spill." She winked conspiratorially at him.

Adrien felt his cheeks go pink. He laughed nervously. "I told Kim the truth, Alya. I don't have a date to the dance."

Alya looked at him. "Well, you can't take me. This poor, tired DJ is my date. You and Marinette could go together, though."

"Alya!" The bluenette hit her best friend, blushing furiously.

The blogger shrugged. "What? You guys would make a cute couple. And think of all the double dates we could do!"

Adrien started to feel uncomfortable. Sure, Marinette was kind and sweet, and sometimes feisty, but she wasn't Ladybug. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, though. Suddenly, he remembered that morning's meeting as he followed his friends outside.

"Actually, I might not come to the dance," he said, trying to sound convincing.

Alya choked. "Are you serious?"

Adrien bit his lip. He was expected at the dance as both Adrien and Chat Noir. If Adrien cancelled, it would leave him free to go to the dance as Chat with Ladybug. But if Adrien cancelled, people would talk, and maybe even get suspicious. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"I'm not sure yet," he answered carefully. "I might have a modelling commitment, but it isn't official yet."

Nino looked aghast through his weariness. "Your old man would make you miss out on the biggest dance of the year to go to some photoshoot? I knew he was strict, but that's _harsh_ , man."

Adrien shrugged, and waved to his friends. "My ride's here. Bye Nino, Alya, Marinette."

He got into the sleek silver car that taxied him to all his commitments, breathing in the new-car smell that the vehicle never seemed to lose. Maybe his father bought a new car every couple of days. God knew that he could afford it.

As the Gorilla guided the car onto the road, Adrien glanced back to his friends through the tinted windows. Alya had her arm around Marinette, who was bowing her head, knees shaking slightly. Nino seemed to be comforting her.

 _What was wrong with Marinette?_

Pulling out his phone, Adrien dashed a text off to Nino.

 _Adrien: What's the matter with Marinette?_

To the blonde's surprise, his best friend quickly replied.

 _Nino: What?_

 _Adrien: When we were driving off, I saw you and Alya comforting her. She looked like she was gonna fall over._

 _Nino: M is fine. She tripped a little. You know M._

 _Adrien: OK. Thanks Nino._

Adrien slipped his phone back into his pocket. In the front seat, his father's assistant, Nathalie, turned her head to look at him.

"Who were you texting, Adrien?" she asked, her voice calm.

"Nino," replied Adrien.

"Didn't you just speak to him at school?" There was no emotion in her voice, everything carefully controlled, giving nothing away.

Jeez, Adrien could really use her advice when it came to hiding his emotions.

"Yes, Nathalie. But as we were pulling away, I saw him and another girl comforting my friend Marinette. I thought she might be hurt, so I texted Nino to check that she was okay."

"How courteous of you," Nathalie said. "I will mention it to your father. Perhaps he would agree to let you attend this dance of yours."

Adrien stared at her. "You mean he doesn't want me to go?"

"I mean that he was unsure if it was sensible," countered Nathalie. "He had every intention of allowing you to attend. People would gossip if you didn't. Your father was debating whether to permit you to go with a female partner."

"Oh." Adrien went slightly pink. "I, uh, don't know if I'll take someone."

"Of course you will," said Nathalie coolly. "Your father has already decided on your partner. It will ensure that no one gossips."

" _He picked a date for me?_ " Adrien asked incredulously. "Who is it?"

He was angry, sure. His father had no right to select who he took to the dance. That was Adrien's choice, and Adrien's alone. Besides, he was pretty sure that he wouldn't like his father's decision. But he was also very curious. As far as he knew, Gabriel had no idea of whom Adrien was friends with at school.

"It's your friend," replied Nathalie. "The mayor's daughter, Chloe Bourgeois."

 **(Cue ominous music).**

 **Hi readers! Sorry for the late update, but I've been away on a technology-free school trip for a couple of days. I just wanted to let you know that for the next few weeks, I will be kept busy with athletic carnivals, swim meets, basketball finals, volleyball games, and possibly netball training/ games. I know that seems like a lot, but trust me, it'll ease up in a month or so. Until then, please be patient with me. Keep an eye out for my updates (there will be one soon). Thanks for reading, and stay miraculous!**


	7. Chapter 7

Marinette slammed her forehead onto her keyboard, causing a string of letters to appear in her search bar: _fdrfgttttttttt._ That pretty much explained what she was feeling- a mix of anger and apprehension. Anger towards her best friend, and fear of tonight's patrol.

Marinette clicked back onto the website she had been looking at before fury had caused her to face-plant onto her keyboard. It was a familiar site, and not usually one that caused her to feel the emotions she was feeling. It was the Ladyblog, run by her best friend and visited by thousands of Ladybug fans. It was definitely strange to know that your alter ego had so many dedicated fans, but even that couldn't mollify Marinette's rage at one particular fan- Alya Cesaire.

Maybe it wasn't _completely_ Alya's fault. Maybe it was Chloe's fault, for even suggesting it. Maybe it was her classmates', for agreeing to it. But Marinette was so used to anger at Chloe, so utterly _sick_ of it that she needed someone new.

Today, Alya was the prime receiver.

Marinette stared at the new post on the Ladyblog, added just an hour ago. It was aimed directly at Ladybug and her superhero partner, Chat Noir. It read:

 _Hi, Ladybloggers! Alya here, with a direct message to Paris' favourite heroes, the incredible Ladybug and fantastic Chat Noir! If you're reading this, the students of Collège Françoise Dupont want you to come to our Masquerade Valentine's Day Dance! We absolutely love your work, and even just a few minutes would make our day! February 14, 6:00 pm in the school courtyard! Thanks!_

The above message was accompanied by a photo of the duo in their masks, the time they had fought Horrificator in the school. Marinette groaned. Seriously? Now if Ladybug cancelled, _everyone_ would know. She was trapped between disappointing her fans, or arousing suspicion about her true identity if Ladybug went and Marinette cancelled. _Ughh._

Now what was she going to do?

Tikki flew up towards Marinette. "It's not so bad," she said. "You've handled worse."

The superhero lifted her head from her desk, eyeing her kwami skeptically. "Oh, yeah?"

Tikki nodded empathetically. "Oh, yes! Do you remember that time when you had to delete that voice message from Adrien's phone, the day Copycat was akumatized? You thought you wouldn't survive that, and now look at you!"

Marinette smiled weakly. "I remember, Tikki. But this time…. my identity is at risk. And I can't give up Ladybug, or you."

Tikki smiled cheekily. "Or Chat Noir?"

Marinette swatted at her playfully. "Chat Noir is my friend, Tikki. Or at least, he was…." Marinette gazed out her window at the city, and Tikki knew that she was thinking about what had happened last night, when she had told Chat Noir about Adrien.

"I shouldn't have told him, Tikki," she said quietly, almost to herself. "Now he knows that I see Adrien a lot. That's too much information. And this time, it's all my fault."

She looked up at the kwami, eyes glittering with fear. Tikki rubbed the girl's cheek, trying to comfort the distraught superhero.

"I can't lose you, Tikki," she sniffled. "If someone finds out my identity, you'll have to pick another Ladybug. And you help me so much, I wouldn't know how to cope without you. Ladybug is my escape. I'm _different_ when I'm her. Less shy. Maybe that's why Chat likes me." She looked at the kwami. "He said he loves Ladybug, before Glaciator attacked. He was so hurt when I didn't come to dinner. He told me I was perfect, and said he didn't care if I didn't like him, just as long as I was happy. Do you think- do you think he really does love me? The way I love Adrien?"

Tikki smiled at her chosen. "I think so, Marinette."

Marinette's eyes widened. "Oh, no. And I rejected him…. I really did break his heart. I would be heartbroken if Adrien did that to me." She punched herself in the arm. Hard. "I'm a horrible person, Tikki. A horrible, selfish person."

"No you're not!" squeaked Tikki. "Everyone makes mistakes. The best thing we can do is learn from them."

Marinette smiled fondly at the kwami. "What would I do without you, Tikki?" Suddenly her expression changed to horror. "I've got patrol tonight! With Chat! Nonononooooo!" she wailed.

Tikki laughed. "Calm down, Marinette. You'll be fine. Just try to relax. Maybe you could work on your dress!"

Marinette pouted. "Ugh. I thought Ladybug was supposed to be lucky," she grumbled. "Yeah, I should probably work on the dress. Even if Adrien isn't coming to the dance," she added sadly, looking at one of her many photographs of the blonde model. With a wistful sigh, she started up her sewing machine, and began to carefully stitch another seam.

Five thirty came quickly- too quickly for Marinette's liking. Time always seemed to fly when she was working on a project. Too bad it didn't when she was at school or on patrol. Well, okay, patrol used to be fun. There was almost nothing like the adrenaline of soaring over the rooftops of Paris with Chat Noir. It gave her a sort of freedom she could never have as Marinette. Perhaps because when she was in the mask, no one knew her true clumsy self. It was easy to act like an entirely different person then.

Not that Marinette didn't like her civilian self. She was content and comfortable with being Marinette, and if Tikki hadn't picked her, she probably would have been quite happy as just Marinette, without the side serving of living a double life. But then again, you couldn't miss what you'd never had.

Marinette wondered if maybe Chat Noir felt the same way about being a superhero. Maybe his civilian self wasn't the same as his superhero self. Or then again, maybe not.

"Come on, Marinette," cried Tikki. "You'll be late!"

Marinette groaned. "Tikki, spots on!"

A pink glow filled her room as Tikki's spirit coursed through Marinette. Her tight red-and-black suit slid over her body, just like a second skin. Light swirled around her head, and with a twirl, there stood a fully transformed Ladybug, mask and all.

The blue-haired superheroine leapt out the trapdoor and off her balcony, body glowing in the golden sunlight as day turned to night. Using her yo-yo, she moved towards the Tower, heavily hoping that her black- suited partner wouldn't mention the events of last night. If he did, Ladybug would be very tempted to push him off the Eiffel Tower.

After all, didn't cats always land on their feet?

After almost a year of fighting with Ladybug, Chat Noir thought he knew her moods pretty well, especially considering that he knew virtually nothing about her as a person. He'd seen her sad, happy, angry, excited, flirtatious, and tired. He'd learnt to read her too, like the way she played with her hair when she was nervous, or wriggled her body when she was excited.

But Chat Noir had never seen his partner like this before. He'd never have believed that she could be so shy. Ladybug was widely regarded as the sassy, bold, confident superheroine. _Shyness_ was most definitely not a trait he would usually associated with his lady.

Except now, as they jogged over the city's rooftops, Ladybug wasn't bantering with him like she normally would. When she'd shown up at the Eiffel Tower, she'd whispered a greeting and immediately zipped away, her posture slightly hunched, almost as though she was afraid.

Chat Noir hated to think that his actions last night had destroyed their usual chemistry. Yes, he'd often wished for something more, but he liked the feeling of their partnership. As a civilian, Chat could never joke around like that, except maybe with Nino or Alya. So to break the thick layer of tension in the air, Chat decided to do what he did best- bust out the puns.

"Ladybug, can we _paws_ for a second?"

The red-suited girl screeched to a halt. "Why?"

"I just need to _cat-_ ch my breath," said Chat Noir, hoping she would pick up on the pun.

Ladybug shrugged indifferently, much to the disappointment of her partner. "Fine, whatever. I don't-" She froze, and slowly turned to face Chat. "Did you seriously just make a _pun?"_

Chat grinned and nodded, delighted.

Ladybug glared. "What the hell is your problem? Can you not shut up with the puns?"

Chat elbowed her. "Come on, LB. You know you love them!"

She muttered something under her breath. It sounded suspiciously like she had said _bloody puns_.

Now Chat Noir was confused. She seemed annoyed. Like, really annoyed.

"Did you have a bad day?" he tried tentatively, very aware that he was toeing the line.

Ladybug swiveled. "No."

"Then why are you so-"

"GOD!" yelled Ladybug. "Just cut it out, okay!"

"Is it that time-"

"OH MY GOD!" she screeched. "IT IS _NOT_ THAT TIME OF THE MONTH! IS A GIRL NOT ALLOWED TO BE ANNOYED WITHOUT SOMEONE ASKING THAT!?"

She marched towards him, and Chat flinched, sure she was about to punch him.

Instead, she did something worse.

She pushed him off the building.

 **Hi readers! A bit of Ladybug anger in this chapter! Sorry I took a while to update. I had a bit of a slack day, and honestly just couldn't be bothered doing anything! I'll try to make the next chapter quick. It should be ready in two or three days, but until then, hang tight! I will get there! And also, sorry for the cliffhanger, but as you may know, being annoying is my thing. You probably didn't need more suspense though, what with all the little spoilers for the next episode. Sorry!**

 **Thanks for reading, and especially thanks to my reviewers! I love reading your opinions, so thank you so much!**

 **Until next time! ~ Miss Eucalypt Writes xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

Ladybug didn't regret it. Chat Noir had totally deserved that. As she fled towards her house, it was like her heart had turned to stone, and not even Chat's hurt, betrayed yowl as he fell could soften it.

But it was his fault. His stupid actions had driven her to the point where she got violent. It wasn't a usual occurrence in Ladybug's life. She was quite a sunny-natured person, and it was very rare that she had these outbursts. But she couldn't be like that all the time. Marinette's family and friends knew that when she woke up in a mood, it was best to treat her like a bomb on the verge of going off. You definitely didn't want it blowing up in your face.

Despite what her idiot of a partner had assumed, it wasn't 'that time of the month'. To be honest, that time didn't have too much of an effect on Ladybug. It was just the rare occasions when nothing went her way that made Ladybug act like this.

The superheroine launched herself into the air over her balcony, detransforming as she landed. She clambered through the trapdoor and then down her ladder. Marinette marched over to her chaise lounge, picked up a cushion, then began to punch it, using more force than was really necessary, imagining that it was her partner's face.

Tikki studied the scene disapprovingly, then spoke to her chosen. "Marinette, stop! Go back there and apologise to Chat Noir!"

Marinette looked at Tikki like she was crazy. "No way! Are you kidding? He totally deserved that!" Marinette continued her punching. She couldn't figure out that cat. Last night, he'd been so sensitive and kind. But then tonight, he'd started making stupid puns again. His chauvinistic comment had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Marinette's anger and fear from earlier, then her confusion over Chat, her guilt from telling him about Adrien, and finally more anger, had congealed into a horrible mix of emotion that Marinette couldn't identify, and couldn't stop.

"You should be used to his puns by now. He was obviously just trying to lighten the mood! I felt awkward just witnessing it! And that last comment…. well, I'll admit that it was idiotic, but he didn't think! He was probably scared and didn't know why you were like that, so he tried to pinpoint the reason!" Tikki took a deep breath. "I'm sure Chat Noir didn't mean to offend you. He probably just didn't understand."

Marinette shrugged, still fuming. "I don't care. Women should be allowed to be angry without being asked if it's 'that time of the month'. I can't believe I actually cried over that fool's feelings." She got up, and climbed the ladder to her balcony. Tikki wisely stayed behind, deciding to give the girl some space, and let her cool down. She knew Marinette was angry about the sexist comment, but she also knew that the girl's rage was more than that. It was all the negative emotions she'd been feeling lately. Marinette had needed to be angry, because it was a familiar emotion. It was just unlucky that she'd chosen to take it out on Chat.

Marinette leaned against the railing, thinking. She needed to sort out her feelings, but she couldn't. Instead she just seethed over her imbecile of a partner. Unfortunately, his fall probably hadn't injured him. He was probably just hurt that she would actually do a thing like that. Marinette tried to feel pleased that she had hurt him, but couldn't. She wasn't a sadistic person by nature, which in the long run was a good thing, but right now it just made her angrier.

With a sigh, she swung back down onto her bed, changed into her pyjamas, and curled up among her pillows. "Tikki, can I ditch Chat and fight akumas on my own?"

Tikki shook her head. "No, Marinette. The ladybug and cat miraculous are the most powerful of them all. They must always be balanced, equal. That's where the yin- yang philosophy comes from- the original Miraculous wielders. Creation and destruction, male and female. Even your backgrounds must balance out. You must work together."

Marinette groaned. "But I can't stand him."

"That's impossible. A Ladybug and a Chat Noir can never truly hate one another. It's impossible," replied Tikki.

"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty good at doing the impossible. You said it yourself, Tikki," growled Marinette.

"There's a difference between anger and hatred, Marinette. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Tikki." Marinette turned out the light and snuggled down, certain that sleep would not come easy tonight.

Chat Noir regretted it.

He didn't know what he'd done, but he still regretted it.

He had never intended to make Ladybug so mad. Was it the puns? Or that last comment? He hadn't been thinking when he said that. He'd panicked, and in movies, that was usually the answer. Chat had forgotten how sexist it was, and how furious his female friends, like Alya and Marinette got when people asked them that. He just didn't think when he was around Ladybug. She made him feel like he was going to faint, in the best possible way. He'd gotten better at controlling himself over the months, but he still slipped up every now and then.

Like tonight. He hated himself for his actions, and Ladybug probably did too. No wonder she preferred Adrien over Chat Noir.

It hadn't hurt when she'd pushed him. At least, not physically. He'd been expecting _something,_ but nothing quite so dramatic. Chat Noir had cried out when he fell, but had extended his staff to keep himself from slamming against the pavement. So he was unscathed in that aspect.

The real pain came from his heart.

He hadn't believed that Ladybug would actually go out of her way to hurt him. If she'd punched him, he wouldn't have been so upset. Maybe bruised, but at least a punch was straightforward, if slightly brutal. But Ladybug hadn't even stuck around to see if he was okay. She'd completely disappeared. It was what Chat would have expected from Chloe Bourgeois. But then again, Ladybug had been _really_ out of sorts.

With a sigh, Chat Noir wondered what to do now. He wasn't ready to go home and confront his father about choosing his partner for the dance, and with Ladybug gone, he had nothing to do.

Maybe he should get some help with the situation. He needed to visit someone he trusted, someone who wouldn't be freaked out or suspicious if he visited them randomly.

Oh… of course. Marinette.

She was the perfect choice. Chat had visited her as a superhero before, so she would most likely be fine with it. Plus, Marinette was a great listener, and actually had really good advice.

With a smile, Chat propelled himself in the direction of the Dupain- Cheng bakery, hoping that Marinette would still be awake.

She was.

Chat Noir had stopped on a neighbouring rooftop, just to see if she was on the balcony. At least something had gone well for him tonight, as Marinette was leaning against the railing, dressed in pyjamas, a familiar faraway look on her face. Chat Noir moved towards her, deliberately approaching in her line of vision, to avoid startling her.

He landed on the railing with a slight shudder. "Good evening."

Marinette turned. She went red in the face and seemed to be holding back a long string of curses. Then she took a deep breath, and calmed herself. "Hi, Chat Noir. What brings you here?" Her voice was friendly, with an undertone that he couldn't quite identify.

In response, Chat shrugged. "I- uh… had a rough night."

"Is that so?" The undertone was still there, sharper now. It bugged him that he couldn't work out what it was. "Do you want to tell me?"

"I think that would help," agreed Chat. "I came here because you're a good listener, and I trust you."

Marinette nodded. "Thanks. Now, whenever you're ready." Her voice was normal again.

Chat took a deep breath. "Okay. So, I had patrol with Ladybug. She was really quiet, so I decided to kind of break the ice with a couple of puns, because I'm legendary when it comes to puns. But… Ladybug got really mad. And then…." Chat hung his head, "I stuffed up. I wasn't thinking. I asked if she was having a bad day. She told me to back off. And then I asked her if it was that time of the month…. you know. It seemed like a logical explanation at the time. But I forgot how rude and chauvinistic it was to ask that. My friends always hate that question. So Ladybug pushed me off the building and left."

"Oh my god. She pushed you off?" Marinette sounded stunned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't think she would do something like that."

"Well, no offence, Chat Noir, but Ladybug is a girl. We operate slightly differently. I don't think you quite understood how she was feeling, but maybe she had a really bad day, and didn't really want to be on patrol, and then you kind of made her snap. She wouldn't have intended to hurt you." Marinette's voice sounded strange. Regretful? Sad? Chat didn't know.

"Yeah, you're right. She told me something personal last night. Then she got guilty, because she thought that it hurt my feelings. Maybe she just needed time away from me or something."

"And did it hurt your feelings?" asked Marinette softly.

Chat shrugged. "Not really. If she's happy, then that's all that matters."

Marinette smiled at him. "That's sweet, Chat Noir."

He smiled back. Then he noticed something. "Marinette, what's that on your arm?"

She looked down. In the moonlight, a small bruise was visible on her upper arm. Marinette laughed. "Oh, nothing. I was frustrated, so I punched my arm. Just over, uh, schoolwork. Don't worry, it's fine."

Chat eyed her warily. "Remind me not to get on your bad side. You've got a pretty good punch."

She chuckled.

Chat remembered the last time he was here, after Ladybug had stood him up and he'd been so upset. Marinette had said that she was heartbroken, too. But she hadn't said why. But then again, Chat hadn't asked.

"Marinette, why were you heartbroken, last time? Who broke your heart?" he asked.

Marinette looked surprised. Then she laughed nervously. "Oh. Right. I went out to get Andre's ice-cream with my friends. It was two couples, plus me and this other boy. He couldn't make it, so I was disappointed. I wanted to share an ice-cream with him. But I guess I over exaggerated. I probably wasn't heartbroken. Not really."

"Oh. Right." Chat sensed the growing tension in the air, and decided that he should probably leave. "Well, goodnight, Marinette." He almost added, _see you tomorrow,_ but caught himself just in time.

Marinette nodded. "Goodnight, Chat Noir." She moved towards him, and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I hope you work things out with Ladybug," she said, slightly awkwardly.

Chat smiled at her, breathing deeply in her scent of fresh bread. "Thanks." He leapt off the balcony and disappeared into the night.

Marinette watched him vanish, then sighed heavily. Now that she'd heard Chat's side, she wondered if she'd been too harsh on him. Emotions churning like cement in a mixer, the bluenette headed to bed for the second time that evening. Perhaps this time, she would get to sleep.

 **HI READERS! I'm really, really happy I finished that, as it was a difficult chapter to write. I had to try and make sure the characters didn't say anything that might offend anyone who reads it. I know it had a lot of negative emotion in it, but this fic does have the 'angst' theme, and I was kind of angry when I wrote it. I was annoyed because I had a city swimming event, and missed out on second place by a millisecond (yes, I'm being serious)! But anyway, thanks for the reviews! I loved reading them! And just on the whole 'is it that time of the month' comment, it was a MISTAKE on Chat's part. While I totally agree that this is a very rude thing to ask someone, please do not let it change the way you perceive Chat Noir, or me as an author. I apologise if it offended anyone, but I needed Ladybug to get mad, and that question always makes me furious. So no offence intended to anyone! Thank you all so much!**


	9. Chapter 9

Marinette gazed at her salad sandwich. Despite not having eaten for five hours, she didn't feel very hungry. Then again, her appetite hadn't been great this morning, either. She'd only felt up to eating a piece of dry toast, but when her mother had checked Marinette's forehead, she hadn't seemed unwell.

Marinette was pretty sure her stomach wasn't the problem. It was just her emotions. She felt none of the fiery anger that she had yesterday. Now it was guilt, confusion, and self-hatred.

After listening to Chat last night, and dwelling over to the conversion for way too long, Marinette had realised just how immature and dramatic she'd been. She'd been so angry while on patrol that she'd gotten severe tunnel vision, and forgotten that Chat Noir would never intentionally hurt or anger her. And then she'd _pushed him off the freaking roof_. Total overreaction on her behalf. And when she hadn't even bothered to stick around to see if he was okay? Yep, she completely _sucked._

And after realising how heartbroken Chat really had been last night, and comparing it to her own 'heartbreak' last time he visited, Marinette had come to the conclusion that she needed to clean up her act. For God's sake, she hadn't even been _dating_ Adrien when he hadn't been able to make it to Andre's.

So, yeah. Marinette really hated herself. She couldn't be mad at anyone, not after seeing how much damage her anger had caused to Chat Noir. When Marinette had seen Alya that morning, she'd flung her arms around the blogger, simply because she needed a hug.

Marinette poked her sandwich. She had to apologise to Chat. As soon as possible, but would he even let her? Maybe she'd scared him off.

"Marinette, you going to eat that? It won't change if you stare at it, you know!" Alya plonked down next to Marinette on the courtyard bench, quickly followed by Nino. Both had trays on their laps, but the contents of the trays were very different. Alya's held yoghurt, a snack bar, and orange slices. Nino had a salami sandwich, a packet of chips, and some weird, high-in-salt energy drink.

Marinette shrugged. "I'm not very hungry."

Alya eyed her. "Listen, girl, if this is some diet thing, _drop it_. You are perfectly healthy."

Marinette laughed. "I'm not on a diet, Alya. I, uh, had a big breakfast," Marinette said, hoping she sounded convincing.

Nino nudged his girlfriend. "Just eat, Alya. Marinette will eat when she wants to. Yo, Adrien!" He waved at the blonde, who was approaching their bench. "Sit down, bro."

Adrien obeyed, which wouldn't have been a problem, except the bench was almost full, and he was forced to squeeze in next to Marinette. She could have died as Adrien's shoulders pressed against her own.

"Sorry, Marinette," he apologised. "Do you mind?"

"Ummm, well, no," she stammered.

Suddenly, Adrien stiffened, his eyes fixed on someone on the other side of the courtyard. "Hell," he muttered. "Sorry, guys. Gotta go, back in a sec!" He jumped up and sprinted away, causing Marinette's sandwich to fall out of her lap and onto the floor.

"Bro, what the heck?" yelled Nino, but Adrien had vanished.

A shadow fell over the three students. Marinette looked up, and immediately wished she hadn't. Chloe and Sabrina stood in front of her, and knowing them, whatever they had to say wasn't going to help Marinette in any way, shape, or form.

"Has anyone seen Adrien?" asked the blonde girl snootily. Her strange valley girl-ish accent grated on Marinette's ears.

"Why?" asked Marinette.

Chloe glanced down at her. "None of your business, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. But it's very important. I have to speak with Adrikins immediately.

"Nobody's dying, Chloe," Alya said, annoyed. "Surely it can wait."

Chloe glared at her. "No one asked _your_ opinion, Little Miss Ladyblog. Actually, it _is_ very important. But I'm not going to tell you. That's I decision Adrien and I need to make _together_." She batted her heavily mascaraed eyelashes.

Alya opened her mouth, no doubt about to slap Chloe with a stinging retort, but Marinette was faster. "He went that way, Choe," she said sweetly, pointing in the direction that was the complete opposite of the one that Adrien had gone.

The blonde looked at her haughtily. "I suppose you're not a complete incompetent, after all."

She turned on her heel and was about to sashay away when Sabrina spoke.

"Uhh, Chloe.." she said nervously.

"What is it, Sabrina?" snapped Chloe.

Wordlessy, Sabrina pointed at Chloe's feet. Looking, down, Marinette suppressed a laugh. Chloe had stepped in her sandwich, and her expensive ballet flats were now smeared with tomato, cheese, shredded lettuce.

Chloe let out a howl. "My shoes! Do you know how much these cost?" she spat. Storming away, she let out a furious "Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

Marinette, Alya and Nino howled with laughter. The salad- covered shoes, expression on Chloe's face, and her famous catchphrase had been truly hilarious.

Eventually, Alya to stop her cackling. "So that's why Adrien ran off. Marinette, you should probably go warn him that Miss Bourgeois is on the prowl." Alya winked.

Marinette went pink. "Um, well, I really don't know where he is, and I should probably clean this-"

"Go on, girl," interrupted Alya. "I'm handing you a golden opportunity. Adrien will be very grateful if you tell him. You can thank me later." With a knowing smirk at Nino, she gently shoved Marinette.

With a sigh, Marinette marched off. God, Alya was so annoying. But she also really amazing.

Marinette climbed the staircase, and looked into a classroom. Adrien stood in the corner, on his phone.

 _Deep breaths_ , Marinette told herself. _You've got this_. Clearing her throat, she pushed open the door. "Adrien?" she said, fighting to stay in control.

He turned, looking nervous, but his expression broke into smile when he saw Marinette. "Thank goodness it's you. I was worried it was Chloe. I really don't want to talk to her right now." He suddenly looked hopeful. "Would you mind hanging out here with me for a bit? It's kind of boring on my own, and Chloe won't find us here."

Marinette nodded. "Um, s-s-sure!"

Adrien beamed at her. "Thanks, Marinette. So, um, how was your evening?"

Marinette hesitated, but it didn't matter. The careful control that she had held over herself snapped, and a flood of words poured out. The pent-up feelings that had been tormenting her all day gushed out, and Marinette was powerless to stop it.

"Honestly, it was really crap,"she replied without thinking.

Adrien looked surprised. "Really? How?"

Marinette hesitated, but it didn't matter. The careful control that she had held over herself snapped, and a flood of words poured out. The pent-up feelings that had been tormenting her all day gushed out, and Marinette was powerless to stop it.

"Well, I met up with this guy. I've known him for ages and I really trust him. But I was kind of in a bad mood while I was with him. He started acting weirdly, cracking jokes and stuff. Normally I wouldn't care, but I wasn't myself. I told him to shut up. He didn't. Then he… well, he said something really rude. I got offended." Marinette paused for breath.

Adrien was watching her closely, eyes wide. "What did you do?" he asked.

Marinette flushed, shuffling her feet. "I, um, well, I punched him," she said sheepishly. She decided that 'pushed him off a building' was a tad dramatic.

Adrien's curious expression turned to shock. "You- you _punched_ him?"

Marinette cursed silently, hoping her response hadn't tarnished Adrien's view of her. "Yeah."

To the bluenette's immense surprise, Adrien started to laugh. "Jeez, Marinette, I didn't think you had it in you!"

Marinette smiled weakly. "Neither did I, actually. It wasn't my finest moment."

"Was he hurt?"

Marinette shrugged. "I didn't stick around. Like I said, I wasn't myself."

"Oh." Adrien thought for a moment. "He didn't hit back, did he?" asked the model, recalling the bruise on Marinette's arm last night.

Marinette shook her head, seemingly shocked. "Oh, no. He would never do that."

"Good." Adrien was relieved. He thought for a moment, then made a decision. "Actually, my night was pretty bad, too."

"Care to tell me?"

"That would be great. It was actually pretty similar to yours. I was with one of my old friends. She was out of sorts, so I tried to cheer her up, and accidentally made her mad, to cut a long story short. She slapped me and left."

"Well, that was short, but definitely not sweet," commented Marinette. "Sounds like we both had a rough night."

"Yeah," agreed Adrien. He watched her for a second. Despite having just recounted a negative experience, she seemed far more relaxed than usual. Adrien was surprised at how easy and enjoyable it was to talk with her. He and Marinette were never really alone together, and she was usually shy and flustered, which made conversation hard. Sure, they'd come a long way since the whole gum-on-seat incident, but Adrien wished they were closer. Marinette was a good friend, someone to talk to after a rough day when Nino wasn't around.

The bell suddenly trilled, causing them both to jump. Marinette smiled slightly.

"Well, we'd better go. Are you prepared to face the wrath of Chloe?" she asked cheekily as they walked out.

Adrien laughed. "As ready as I'll ever be. She's got some good qualities, Marinette. I know you two aren't exactly best friends, but she could use a bit of help."

Marinette froze. "Are you suggesting that _Chloe Bourgeois_ needs my help?"

Adrien shrugged. "She's had a tough life. I know she hasn't exactly made things easy for herself, but two friends isn't really enough."

"A tough life?" Marinette could hardly believe her ears. "You call having a butler, stylist, personal chef, and countless maids a _tough life_?"

"Marinette, her mother left her when she was four. That's what I mean by tough," said Adrien patiently.

"Oh." Marinette swallowed. Chloe's mother had left her? That explained quite a bit, actually. "Sorry, Adrien. I didn't know."

Adrien gave her a lopsided smile. "It's okay. She hasn't made it public. As far as I know, she doesn't even talk about it." He paused, and considered Marinette. "You know, Marinette, I find it kind of odd that we're only just talking like this now."

"What do you mean?" asked Marinette, falling into step beside Adrien.

"Well, we see each other a lot, but we're usually with Nino and Alya. It's never, you know, you and I."

"Yeah. I see what you mean," Marinette said thoughtfully. She looked at Adrien shyly. "Do you ever feel awkward third-wheeling with Nino and Alya?"

"Definitely." Adrien nodded. "I mean, I don't resent them, or anything. But sometimes I feel like I'm in the way, or kind of jealous that they have a relationship like that."

Marinette looked away, suddenly shy. This was her dream come true- a chance to talk to Adrien about relationships. But she couldn't make herself do it. Not now.

While she was thinking, Marinette didn't notice a stray backpack in her path. In classic Marinette- style,she tripped, arms flailing. Just as she was about to hit the floor like a sack of potatoes, two strong hands caught her around her waist, and pulled Marinette back into standing position. The girl found herself gazing up at Adrien, his green eyes full of concern.

"Are you okay?"

Marinette nodded, breathless. Adrien's hands were still firmly clasped around her waist, and she didn't want him to let go.

Adrien didn't seem to want to let go, either. They stayed like that for a moment, swaying gently, almost like a dance. Then a harsh shriek shattered the moment like glass.

"ADRIKINS! Where have you been? I've been looking for you!" Chloe stomped up to Adrien, shoved Marinette aside, and flung her arms around the model. "So, did your father tell you the great news? I can't wait. Just imagine, you and me. It'll be so romantic!" she purred.

Adrien gently pushed her away. "Actually, Chloe, I haven't spoken with my father yet, and I'd prefer it if you didn't talk about it until I've discussed it with him. And you might want to apologise to Marinette."

Chloe glared at Marinette, then realised Adrien was watching. "So _rry_." She kissed Adrien's cheek, and strutted away.

Adrien sighed. "Sorry about that."

Marinette could barely reply. She was dizzy with happiness, and felt like her heart might burst. Adrien had stood up for her!

Now, if she could just work things out with Chat Noir, life would be perfect.

 **Hi! I've decided to make my chapters longer, but unfortunately that means there'll be a longer gap in between chapters. Never fear though, as I promise I'll deliver at least one chapter per week, unless the circumstances change dramatically. Thanks for reading, and remember to drop a review. See ya!**


	10. Chapter 10

Adrien had never been the best person for timing. But right now, he was absolutely certain that this was the right moment.

After all, he hadn't spent hours plotting just to have his well-laid plans tossed in the trash. Adrien was firmly convinced that it was time to put Operation MLFILWCN into action.

Coming up with catchy titles clearly wasn't Adrien's strong point. His plan's name was correctly pronounced as ' _mil- fil- wicken',_ and it stood for 'Make Ladybug Fall In Love With Chat Noir'.

 _Duh._

But the title didn't matter. It was the plan itself. Why, you may ask, was Adrien so convinced that the timing was right? Well, because Ladybug was furious at Chat Noir (for unknown reasons). Adrien often heard the saying 'There's a fine line between love and hate", usually from Nino, when Adrien commented on how much he hated Chloe constantly invading his personal space. If Ladybug was angry at Chat now, surely it wouldn't take much to turn it to love.

Adrien held out the page containing his detailed plan, studying it for the umpteenth time. If this was going to work, he needed it memorised.

Plagg floated up, nibbling on (of course) a piece of his beloved camembert cheese. "Are you sure you've thought this through?" He sounded strangely concerned.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Of course, Plagg. I'm not stupid."

Plagg chewed, then spoke, spraying crumbs as he did so. "Normally, I might let that comment pass. But I don't think you realise _exactly_ how stupid you are when it comes to wooing your precious crush."

"It's not just a crush! Ladybug _is_ my soulmate, Plagg. She just doesn't know it yet."

"And that's where you're wrong," muttered the kwami under his breath. God, Adrien was so dense. Couldn't he see that Marinette was _head over heels_ for him?

Thankfully, Adrien hadn't heard Plagg's last comment. He was too busy staring at his paper. Plagg sighed and floated over. Quickly skimming the page, the cat kwami felt a sense of panic surge up in his gut, much like the feeling he got when he ate too much cheese.

"Adrien, I don't think this is a good idea," Plagg warned.

Adrien looked up. "Why not? I think it's great."

"You're going to hurt Ladybug."

Adrien scowled. "What? No! I would never do that."

Plagg shook his head, exasperated. "Adrien, she loves _you_. You're going to reject her. How do you think she'll feel?"

Adrien stared at his kwami. "But Plagg…. It's not a real rejection!"

"She doesn't know that," reminded Plagg.

Adrien suddenly looked unsure. Then he shook his head, a look of determination on his face. "No. It will work. It has to. Plagg, claws out!"

"ADRIEN!" yelled Plagg furiously. "DO NOT DO I-" The kwami's rant was cut short as he was sucked into the ring.

Moments later, a freshly transformed Chat Noir leapt off his bedroom window and into the city, which was bathed in the golden light of dusk. Technically, they hadn't confirmed a patrol tonight. But they almost always patrolled on Tuesdays. Chat Noir hoped Ladybug wouldn't break the tradition. This phase of the plan was extremely delicate, and required incredible timing. It also required Ladybug.

Chat Noir gave his signature smirk. She would come. He knew it.

"He won't come, I know it," Marinette wailed. She was slumped on her rug, a pile of pale blue material gathered on her lap. "This is a complete waste of time. I may as well just wear jeans and a t-shirt and be done with it."

"Don't say that!" squeaked Tikki. "Even if he doesn't come to the dance, that's no reason why you shouldn't dress up and have a fun evening with your friends!"

"Sure, Tikki," grumbled Marinette. "Except this isn't just some dance. This is the Valentine's Dance! The event for _couples_! If I went, I'd be the ultimate third wheel. No way."

"Well, I'm sure you could find a partner somewhere," said Tikki sensibly. "Nathaniel would be more than happy to go with you."

Marinette tossed her dress aside. "Yeah, but if I go with him, he might think I'm interested. And so will Adrien, and then he'll _never_ ask me out!"

Tikki smiled at Marinette. "Don't lose hope, Marinette. Adrien didn't say for sure that he wasn't coming. Besides, if you really don't want to go, then don't!"

"Then I would be the biggest loser alive," lamented Marinette.

Tikki sighed. "You're not giving yourself many options here, Marinette."

"Welcome to my world."

Tikki shook her head, then perked up. "I know! You could go as Ladybug!"

Marinette turned to Tikki so fast that she almost gave herself whiplash. "Are you out of your mind?"

Tikki huffed indignantly. "No, I'm not crazy. You and Chat were invited to the dance, right? So if for whatever reason Adrien doesn't end up going, just go as Ladybug!"

Marinette sighed. "I don't know, Tikki. I think I'm gonna have to take a raincheck on that one."

Tikki shrugged indifferently. "I don't mind. Just as long as you end up making a good decision. Now, are you going to patrol tonight?"

The girl groaned. "Just when I thought the panicking was over…. Do I have to?"

"Well, of course not. No-one's forcing you to," replied Tikki. "But you really need to work stuff out with Chat."

"Honestly, I think I scared him off," admitted Marinette.

"I'm inclined to agree," said Tikki dryly. "I think shoving him off the roof might have done it."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I don't need sarcasm right now. But seriously, do I have to? Can't I skip a patrol, just this once?"

"Marinette, the sooner you smooth this whole mess over, the sooner you'll be back to normal. Just head out, meet Chat, and tell him the truth. You'll be fine," said the kwami encouragingly. "I believe in you."

Marinette stood resolutely, smoothed her unfinished dress, and carefully hung it up. With a deep breath, she uttered her command. "Tikki, spots on!"

A few pink flashes later, and Ladybug stood there. She glanced at herself in the mirror, remembering how uncomfortable she had been with the idea of a bodysuit when she'd first started being Ladybug. She'd just felt so exposed. Every lump and bump was visible, and for Marinette, who was the kind of girl who preferred one-pieces over bikinis, it wasn't what she was comfortable with. But now, she barely gave it a second thought, though that might have been because she hadn't been the receiver of any body- shaming.

Ladybug wondered if it was the skin- tight bodysuit that had attracted Chat Noir at first, rather than her personality.

Shaking away her thoughts, Ladybug leapt out onto the rooftops, running hard. After just a few minutes, she almost felt out of breath, pushing herself harder than normal, just so that the physical hurt could take her mind off the emotional pain.

Ladybug's ribbons whipped at her face, stinging a little as the wind caused them to snap and crackle. With a final practiced throw, the superheroine hurled her yo-yo at the Eiffel Tower, tugged, then landed lightly on the cool metal beams. Shivering slightly, she turned to scan the city, watching for a sign of her partner's approach. Against Ladybug's will, her pulse quickened with anticipation.

Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. Reflexes kicking in, she moved to attack, but a black-gloved hand stopped her. "Relax, it's just me."

 _Chat Noir._

Ladybug had never had a heart attack, but maybe this was what one felt like. Her heart fluttered and stopped in an irregular pattern.

 _What in the world was she going to say to him?_

Her brain went into panic mode, dozens of tiny Ladybugs running around in her head, screaming and flailing their arms. Then through the chaos came the voice of Tikki, reassuring as always.

' _Apologise. Just tell the truth.'_

With a deep breath, Ladybug gathered up her shreds of composure and opened her mouth. "I'm so sorry," she blurted out. But to her surprise, she wasn't the only one who did so.

At the exact same moment, Chat had said the exact same words. Ladybug's eyes widened. "You don't need to apologise."

Again, Chat's words were in unison with hers. Their eyes met, and suddenly Ladybug felt something new bubbling up inside her.

Laughter.

And then they were both laughing, at themselves and each other, letting loose everything they'd feared in the past couple of days. Ladybug found herself studying her partner, the light in his eyes, the freedom of his movements.

He didn't act like someone who had recently been rejected by the love of his life.

When they could laugh no more, Ladybug spoke. "Chat Noir, I really am sorry. I should never have done that to you. It was a horrible thing to do, and I completely understand if you're mad at me."

Chat nudged her playfully. "I could never be mad at you, Bugaboo. Question is, are _you_ mad at _me_?"

Ladybug hung her head. "I was. But I'm not now."

"I really am sorry, you know," said Chat seriously. "It was a stupid thing to say, but I'm not very good at reading people."

"It's fine, Chat, don't worry." Ladybug felt like she was Atlas, and Chat Noir had just lifted the weight of the world off her shoulders. She felt like dancing, leaping, running. But most of all,she felt relief.

"I'm glad." Chat took her hand, and for once the red-suited girl didn't protest. "There's something I have to tell you."

Ladybug looked him in the eye, and Chat felt like he was going to die. She was so gorgeous. It hurt him, the fact that he couldn't take her in his arms and kiss her right then and there.

 _Patience,_ he told himself. _Soon._ First, he had to put phase one into action.

And so he did.

Carefully, slowly, he uttered the words he'd been rehearsing for days. "Listen, Ladybug, I know now might not be the best time," he began, his gaze steady, his heart the complete opposite. "But it's about Adrien." He waited, watching for her reaction.

It came.

She dropped her head, looking shy. "I shouldn't have told you about him, Chat."

Chat took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "Oh, yes, you should have. Because I talked to Adrien. And he said….. He said that he wants to talk to you."

"You told him?!" Fire blazed in Ladybug's eyes. Chat Noir backed up, waving his hands like windscreen wipers.

"No, no, I swear I didn't! But I happen to be friends with him, and I also happen to know that he has feelings for you." Chat smiled mischievously. "In fact, he sent me here to tell you that he wants to see you. Right now."

"Right… now?" Ladybug's heart fluttered. She hadn't been prepared for this! But she couldn't let Chat know. He was trying to do something nice for her. "I didn't pin you as a matchmaker, Kitty," she joked, trying to keep her tone light.

Chat smiled, holding her gaze with an intensity that made her blush. "Anything for you, m'lady."

Why was she blushing? Her heart belonged to Adrien!

 _He's just being sweet,_ Ladybug told herself, trying to believe it. _That's all._

"Thank you, Chat," Ladybug replied, her tone sincere. "Thank you very much. Do you mind if I….?"

Chat shook his head. "Not at all, m'lady." He gave a bow. "Enjoy yourself."

With a smile, Ladybug zipped away, in the direction of the Agreste mansion. Chat smirked to himself. "I'll see you there, Bugaboo," he muttered under his breath.

 **Hi! So excited for the next few chapters! Sorry-not-sorry for leaving you on another cliffhanger, but what can I say? I love keeping people in suspense! But don't worry, the next chapter should be ready in the next two or so days. Until then, stay miraculous!**

 **PS. Thank you so much for the reviews/ follows/ favourites! I love you guys!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Guys, I'm so sorry for making you wait. I'll explain more at the end of the chapter. Thanks!**

* * *

Ladybug waited on the rooftop. Her heart was pounding like a drum, and she stood still as stone. On the Eiffel Tower, she'd been so ecstatic at the prospect of meeting Adrien. Now, she had no idea how to pull this off. Should she swing in through the window, or would that freak him out? Go through the main gates? But what if Mr. Agreste saw her? Now _that_ would be a fun conversation. _Oh, hi, Mr. Agreste. I'm here because I have a crush on your son and apparently he likes me, so I'm just going to walk into his room. Not creepy at all._

Yep, that would definitely _not_ cause Mr. Agreste to call the police.

Ladybug tucked a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear. No, she would just have to go through his window. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she drew her yo-yo, and flung it, aim perfect. It truly was incredible how excellent her coordination was when she was Ladybug, and how horrible it was when she was Marinette. Well, not exactly horrible, but not superhero-worthy, either.

She landed on the glass with a gentle thud. Her suit enabled her to cling to the window and not fall, which was fortunate, as it would have been quite embarrassing to fling herself at her crush's window, smack into the glass and fall like some kind of demented pigeon.

Carefully stowing her yo-yo around her waist, the heroine knocked on the glass, peering into the lighted room. Adrien sat at his desk, and upon hearing her knock, he spun around in surprise. The boy's tanned face broke into a smile when he saw her. He hurried to open the window, and she swung through.

Landing like a gymnast on the floorboards, Ladybug straightened and smiled at Adrien. "Um, hi."

"Hey, Ladybug. Did Chat Noir pass on my message?" he asked. He seemed red in the face and was puffing slightly.

Ladybug nodded. "Yeah, he did. Are you okay?" she enquired, her voice tinged with concern.

Adrien looked startled. "Oh, um, yeah. I was, uh…. working out," he answered.

Ladybug almost swooned at the thought but managed to keep it together. "Right. So, um, what has Chat told you?"

Adrien looked at her for a moment before replying. "He, well, he told me that you rejected him for me."

The masked girl went as red as her suit. "I'm going to kill him," she muttered, blushing furiously.

Adrien laughed. "Hey, go easy on him. He was only trying to help you. He just wants you to be happy."

"Right," muttered Ladybug, still pink. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing important," said Adrien dismissively. He took a deep breath. This was it. The moment of truth. "I asked you here tonight because I wanted to tell you something."

"Yeah?" Ladybug's heart raced with anticipation. Her entire life had been leading up to this- the moment when Adrien would tell her that he loved her too.

"I don't love you, Ladybug. I'm sorry, but there's another girl. When Chat told me… well, I decided that I couldn't lead you on. I had to tell you. I really am sorry, Ladybug. You're absolutely amazing, but I'm not in love with you. I'm sorry." He stopped, and looked at her, curious to see her reaction.

Ladybug's heart stopped. The breath was snatched from her body, and tears began to flood her eyes. Her shoulders shook, and her mouth fell open. She felt cold and hot at the same time, and an incredible pain in her chest, like Adrien had picked up a knife and stabbed her.

"Ladybug?" Adrien looked anxious. "Are you okay?"

Ladybug tried to breathe, to speak, to do something. The best she could manage was a nod. All she could think of was getting out before her delicate facade cracked.

"Thank you for telling me. Goodnight." She turned quickly, ready to jump out the window. _Must get out. Must get out._

"Wait! Ladybug!" Adrien rushed forward and grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Fine, just fine. Bye." Ladybug shook him off harshly and zipped out as quickly as possible. Tears began to cloud her vision, but she blinked hard as she swung towards home, determined not to cry until she was safe in her very own room, away from anything else that might hurt her.

* * *

Adrien grinned as he removed the gag from his previously hog-tied kwami. "So, Plagg, what do you thi-"

The small cat zoomed at him like a bullet. "YOU COMPLETE IDIOT!" Plagg hollered. "YOU ARE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE STUPIDEST CHAT NOIR EVER!" The kwami launched himself at Adrien and began scratching and biting his face with his tiny (but still extremely sharp) teeth and claws.

"Plagg, what the - OW!" Adrien cried out as Plagg sank his teeth into his skin. "Ow, ow, ow! What is your problem?" The model swatted at the tiny creature as it attacked him over and over again. "Stop!"

"I told you not to do it!" raged Plagg in between bites. "Do you realize what you've DONE?"

"No! Back off!" roared Adrien.

"YOU BROKE HER HEART!" Plagg roared back. "SHE LOVED YOU, AND YOU REJECTED HER! IDIOT! MIRACULOUS HOLDERS AREN'T IMMUNE TO AKUMAS!"

Adrien froze. "Wha-what?"

"You heard me! What if she gets akumatized, huh? Hawkmoth will be able to get her identity and her miraculous! You'd better pray that she's used to disappointment, or we're doomed!" Plagg had stopped attacking Adrien, but he still looked murderous.

"Oh, no," whispered Adrien. "What have I done?"

"Fortunately for you, she probably won't get akumatized. Tikki will help her deal with the pain. But akuma or not, you've still stuffed up. You purposely hurt your beloved Ladybug, just so she can like you as Chat Noir. Couldn't you be happy with what you had? You both loved each other, and both wanted to be with each other. But noooo, you had to be greedy." Plagg took a breath. "And you know what the worst part is? You've reached the 'point of no return'. There's no going back. You've set the wheels in motion, and now you have to go through with this pig-headed plan of yours. Goddamnit, Agreste! If this doesn't work, you will get to know my claws _very well indeed_." The kwami finished his rant and glared at his chosen. "So, Adrien, how do you plan on getting yourself out of this one?"

* * *

Marinette thought she had known sadness. After several mishaps in the love department, she thought she knew what hurt was.

She was wrong.

The knife in her heart twisted every time she thought of the conversation. She could hardly breathe from both the pain and tears. The salty droplets trickled down her cheeks at an alarming pace, gleaming like tiny diamonds in the dim glow of Marinette's bedside lamp.

How could Adrien do that? She thought he was caring. Thought that he was the kind of boy to let a girl down gently, instead of blatantly saying no. And he hadn't even seemed guilty! Oh, sure, he'd apologized, but it didn't sound sincere. Marinette had cried when she'd rejected Chat, and had felt so horrible after. Adrien didn't even seem to care a jot about her feelings!

Wailing into her tear-soaked pillow, Marinette glanced up at the pinboard beside her bed. Adrien smiled back at her, hair gleaming like gold in the sun. With a heartbroken sob, Marinette snatched away the picture, crumpling it in her fist and tossing it away. She slumped back onto her bed and proceeded to sob herself to sleep.

* * *

Marinette woke with a start, and immediately her eyes filled with tears again. Tikki flew up to comfort her, gently rubbing Marinette's cheek.

"Don't cry," she soothed.

Marinette's shoulders shook. "I can't do this, Tikki," she wept. "I can't go to school. I'll just c-cry the whole time and- and- " She cried even harder, body shuddering with each sob.

Tikki stroked the girl's tear-stained cheek. "Shhhh. Shhh. I know. Don't cry. We'll get through this. Shh."

Marinette continued to sob for another five minutes before eventually tiring. She lay down on the bed, her hands cupped around Tikki, holding the kwami close to her aching heart as the flow of tears began to ebb. She lay there, seeking comfort in her kwami's warmth.

A few minutes passed, and Marinette sat up. With a resolute sniff, she wiped her face. "I'm going to school. I can't let anyone think there's something wrong. Adrien will _not_ break me. I-I won't let him."

Tikki squealed with delight. "I'm so proud of you, Marinette! Don't let anyone take you down. That's my girl!"

Marinette smiled waterily. "Thanks, Tikki. I'll do my best." She climbed down from the bunk and took a quick shower to freshen up. Once she was finished, she felt much better, like the hot water had cleansed her off sadness- temporarily. She tossed on some clean clothes, opting for black leggings and a comfy pink sweater. It was cozy and comforting and exactly what she needed. Marinette spent just a little time on her makeup. She just needed to cover up the most obvious signs of her tears, nothing more. She didn't want to impress Adrien, or anyone for that matter. But she always liked to look neat, so just a tad of cosmetics was all she required. The girl let her dark hair hang loose, just to cover her face a little. Stuffing her feet into white sneakers, Marinette climbed downstairs, where she prepared herself a hot thermos of tea, kissed her parents, and left.

As she walked towards the school, Marinette sipped her tea. The hot drink comforted her, as the harsh winter breeze whipped around her. It was a relief to enter the classroom, where the heater was going at full blast. The bluenette dumped her belongings onto her desk and began arranging them into an orderly pile, determinedly not looking at any of her classmates. Fortunately, she was early (miracles can happen), and there were only half a dozen students in the room. Chloe and Sabrina were gossiping away in the front row, Ivan had his headphones in, Alix was attempting to finish maths homework, Nathaniel was sketching and Kim was on his phone. None had looked up when Marinette had entered, and the girl decided it would be best not to disturb them.

To pass the time, she pulled out her sketchbook and flipped to a fresh page. After a few _umms_ and _ahhs_ , she began sketching an embroidered dress, focusing on details. She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't even notice when Alya walked in.

"Hey, M!"

Marinette glanced up, startled. She smiled and shut her sketchbook, neatly packing it into her bag. "Hey, Alya. How are you going?"

"Great!" replied the blogger brightly. She began to unpack her stuff, smiling and humming as she did so. Marinette gave her a quizzical look.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she quizzed, looking up at her friend.

Alya giggled in a very un-Alyaish way. "Nothing."

Marinette grinned despite herself. "Very funny. Now, seriously, why are you in such a good mood?"

Alya beamed at the bluenette. "Nino asked me to the Valentine's Dance! It was actually so sweet, for Nino." Alya rolled her eyes fondly.

Marinette's stomach dropped. The one subject she had wanted to avoid. Great.

She forced a smile onto her face. "Wow! That's great! I'm so happy for you, Alya!" chirped Marinette.

Fortunately, Alya didn't seem to notice anything unusual. "Thanks, girl. We'd better find you a date, too." Alya wiggled her eyebrows cheekily.

Marinette coughed. "I've got plenty of time to sort that out. The dance isn't for a while yet."

"Oh, don't say that! You need to snag the best ones or someone else will get them!"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Who did you have in mind?"

Alya pointed, smiling mischievously. "Him."

Marinette followed her gaze and felt her heart freeze. Her fingers tightened around her thermos, and her entire body went rigid.

Adrien smiled up at her and Alya. "Morning, girls!" he said brightly.

Marinette could barely even look at him without feeling the knife again.

How the hell was she meant to sit through an entire lesson?

* * *

 **Hi! Apologies for the wait. I know I said two days, but an unexpected trip came up, so I spent the long weekend without access to my laptop, which meant I couldn't work on this chapter. However, I will try to be consistent, and warn you before I go on trips. But anyway, thank you so much for reading! Keep an eye out for new posts, and please leave a review if you liked it / think I could improve on something.**


	12. Chapter 12

It truly was amazing how quickly you could fall out of love with someone.

At least, that's what Marinette thought. She was truly convinced that she was completely and fully over Adrien.

How could she love a boy who could reject someone so harshly? Oh sure, Adrien hadn't known that he was rejecting his classmate, but that didn't matter. His actions and words had broken her heart, and she had no idea if it would mend.

But despite her shattered emotions, Marinette was determined to focus on her lessons, and _most definitely not_ the blonde boy seated directly in front of her.

And by the time the lunch bell had rung, her efforts had paid off. As she left the room, toting her books, Ms. Bustier put a hand on her shoulder.

"Excellent work today, Marinette. I don't think I've ever seen you so focused," praised the auburn-haired teacher.

Marinette smiled. "Thank you, miss." She continued on her way, Alya falling into step beside her. The blogger began chattering about some new website about Chat Noir, and how she was considering a collaboration.

Marinette let the chatter wash over her, soothing because it was so familiar. And in this strange new world, when Chat Noir was sensitive and Adrien was cold-hearted, Marinette could use a bit of familiarity. It was like the classic bread roll taken before meals, no matter how unusual the main course was- a spark of the ordinary in a bonfire of unfamiliar.

The pair parted at the front steps, Marinette crossing over to the bakery, where she would eat her lunch. The superheroine shoved open the door and marched inside, eager for a good meal and a chat with Tikki, who had been encouraging her all day, and therefore Marinette's saving grace. Marinette had no wish to cry at school and was relying on Tikki to stop that from happening.

"Marinette, darling, how was your morning?" greeted Sabine, turning from the sink, where she had been washing dishes. "Your lunch is on the bench," she continued, flicking a tea towel towards the said food. "Your father and I have already eaten. We'll be extremely busy, as there's an order for two wedding cakes by tonight. I'm heading back down to help your father now. We'll see you this evening. Have a good day, sweetheart." The petite woman reached up to kiss Marinette's cheek.

"Thanks, Mom," smiled Marinette, hugging her.

Sabine smiled, and hurried off, muttering something about glace cherries. Chuckling, Marinette sat down to devour her chicken pasta. Once she was sure her mother had gone, the bluenette opened her purse to let Tikki out.

"How are you faring, Marinette?" asked the pink kwami.

"Pretty well, thanks, Tikki," replied Marinette, taking a bite of pasta. "If I can keep this up, then I'll be really happy."

"You're already over halfway. I think you'll be fine!" said Tikki happily. She watched as Marinette finished off her lunch, then checked the clock. "We've still got half an hour before you're due back at school. We could head back now, or you could stay here. Perhaps do homework, or work on your dress, or help your parents out," suggested Tikki.

Marinette hummed as she thought over her options. "I might head back to school and go to the library. I've got a study period next anyway, and I really do need to get up to date on my work." She remembered her full-to-the-brim homework folder and sighed.

"Sounds like a plan!" chirped Tikki. "Let's go!"

Marinette washed her bowl and fork, then headed off. She chose not to stick her head into the bakery, as her parents would be run off their feet, and she would only get in their way. Marinette was a very skilled baker for her age, but she wasn't quite good enough to help with wedding cakes.

Back at school, Marinette hurried past a group of chattering juniors and into the library. The heavy wooden door creaked as she opened it. The blue-eyed girl made her way towards one of the tables, pulled out a chair and sat.

The library was completely empty. The rest of the school was outside, trying to make the most of the brief sunshine; the first warmth of the day. Marinette pulled out her laptop, plugged in her headphones, and retrieved her note from her bag. With her favourite playlist sounding in her ears, Marinette began to work on her essay about Elizabeth I of Britain.

Adrien pushed open the door, whistling softly. He scanned the library quickly. It seemed mostly empty. His class had a study session this period, but apparently, most of them were still enjoying their lunch break.

The model spotted a familiar figure, seated at one of the tables. He quietly approached her and placed his belongings at the place beside her. Adrien gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Mind if I sit here?"

Marinette jumped. She shook off her headphones, and Adrien heard the catchy beat of the latest Jagged Stone single.

"Um, no, I don't mind," squeaked the bluenette, shuffling her pencil case to the side. Her face was slightly pink.

Adrien frowned. "Sorry to startle you, Marinette," he apologized, sitting down.

She shrugged. "It's fine." Without another word, she slid her headphones back on and started typing furiously, like the keyboard of her laptop had done her a grave offense.

Adrien was surprised. He'd been anticipating a quiet chat with his classmate, but apparently, Marinette hadn't felt like talking. He brushed away his surprise. She probably had a lot of work to do, that was all.

Adrien set up his computer and began typing, slower than usual in forming words. He was thinking about the next phase of his plan to seduce Ladybug, not his English assignment.

Slowly, Adrien's fellow classmates began to trickle in. Some opted for private desks, but most chose places at tables, where they could study and socialize at the same time. The previously silent library now buzzed quietly with whispers.

A few minutes after everyone had got to work, the doors to the library creaked behind Adrien. He turned to see Nino and Alya tiptoe in, arms full of books. Nino dumped his stuff on the seat next to Adrien's, and Alya sat beside her boyfriend.

"Hey, bro," whispered Nino. Adrien nodded in reply.

From beside him, there came a sudden snicker. Nino, Adrien, and Alya all turned to look at the source of the noise.

Marinette was staring at Nino and Alya, giggling to herself. Her best friend frowned in confusion.

"What?"

Marinette tried to suppress a smile. "You two _could_ be more discreet," she muttered.

"What do you mean, girl?" asked Alya.

Marinette pointed at her own lips, then touched several other places on her face, still laughing softly. Suddenly, Adrien picked up what Marinette's keen eyes had.

Nino's face was smudged slightly in several places, the marks a deep plum colour. Alya's lipstick, which was suspiciously the same colour as the marks, was slightly smudged.

Adrien began to laugh too. Now he knew why his two friends had arrived late to the study session.

Glaring at the two, Alya whipped out her mobile phone, checking her face in the camera application. She then glanced at her boyfriend's face and went a deep shade of red. Nino, too, flushed when he understood what Marinette had been laughing at.

"Oh, come on!" he protested in a hushed tone. "You two wouldn't understand what it's like to have a girlfriend and want to kiss her senseless. Or a boyfriend," he added.

Marinette just sighed, her gleeful expression flickering into a downcast one.

"Well, Adrien might," continued Nino cheekily, completely oblivious to Marinette's sudden change in mood.

"What do you mean?" asked Alya quickly, shooting a concerned look at Marinette.

Nino winked and nudged his friend playfully. "Don't you have a _major crush_ on a particular girl?"

Adrien flushed red and instantly put his head down. "Nino, shut up," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Nino cackled softly, reveling in his revenge. "No way, dude. If you get to tease me about Alya, then I get to tease you about your sweetheart."

"Adrien has a girlfriend?" asked Alya curiously, always keen for a scoop. "Who is it?"

Nino shrugged, flicking a glance at his friend, who had his fingers jammed in his ears. Despite his actions saying that he didn't want to hear the rest of the conversation, it was quite obvious that he was still listening intently.

"Well, that's just the thing," said the DJ crossly. "Mr. Model here won't tell me who it is, and no, it's not a girlfriend. But he let slip that she's pretty well-known, so I'm guessing it's one of his model friends or some such- OW!"

Nino's sudden yell of pain attracted the attention of the rest of their classmates, most of whom had been listening to music through their headphones. A dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at them- some curious, others slightly annoyed.

"Uh, sorry," said Nino, addressing his classmates. "Banged my elbow on the desk."

The students turned back to their work.

Nino glared at his girlfriend, who was glaring right back at him. "What was that for?" he hissed.

Alya scowled and whispered something in his ear. Marinette just caught her name, Adrien's and the words _crush_ and _hurt_.

Oh, yeah. Alya didn't know that Marinette was no longer hopelessly in love with Adrien. Marinette made a mental note to tell her later.

 _On second thoughts, that might not be such a good idea._ Knowing Alya, she would demand a detailed explanation, and Marinette really couldn't provide her with one- not without revealing her identity, of course, and that was never going to happen. Yes, Marinette supposed she could make up some lie, but nowadays she had to lie so much to cover up the whole Ladybug thing that it was getting difficult to keep track of them all.

No, it was probably best to just keep things under wraps for now. After all, Marinette was a pro at keeping secrets from her loved ones by now.

Losing interest in the conversation, Marinette turned back to her work. She had wasted enough time already, and she needed to get this done if she was going to sleep at all tonight.

Marinette had never been so relieved to hear the bell that signified that she was free to leave the college. Although a pile of homework, several projects, and a long meditation session awaited her at home, it would most likely be far easier than dealing with her broken heart and having to see the person who broke it all day.

"Marinette?" A hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump. A familiar gentle voice. Marinette turned and sighed. Speak of the devil. She quickly plastered a smile on her face. She'd caught Adrien studying her several times while they'd been in the library. Yes, she had been pretty brisk with him and certainly hadn't acted as she usually would with him, but that was no reason to stare. One might even call it indecent, and now that Marinette had seen what she deemed to be Adrien's true colours, perhaps it was. She felt a hot, angry red rash creep up her neck at the very idea.

"Hi, Adrien," she said, determined to keep the anger and contempt out of her voice. The result was a flat, tired tone- the kind Marinette's history teacher used while lecturing the class on a, particularly boring subject.

"Hi," he replied, suddenly looking nervous. "Forgive me for asking, but are you alright?"

Taking in Marinette's wide-eyed expression, he hurried on, "It's just that you looked a bit upset."

Ordinarily, Marinette would have been swooning and stuttering all over the place. But she was no longer infatuated with Adrien and managed to keep her body and voice steady.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said coolly, turning to walk away.

Adrien stopped her. "Wait!" An idea had flashed into her mind- a way to cheer her up. When he'd visited the bluenette as Chat Noir, she'd mentioned being disappointed about not getting ice-cream with some guy. "If you're not busy tonight, would you like to get an ice-cream from Andre's with me?"

Marinette's mouth fell open. She looked like someone had just socked her in the stomach, leaving her winded. Then she seemed to snap out of it, and shut her mouth, shaking her head gently. "I'm terribly sorry, Adrien, but I'm extremely busy tonight. There's some work I need to catch up on, and I…. have to help my parents in the bakery." The fib slipped easily out of her mouth.

Adrien looked slightly disappointed, then cheered up. "No worries, Marinette. What about Friday?"

Marinette's eyes widened. She hadn't been expecting him to persist. How was she going to answer him now? She didn't want to get an ice-cream with him, _especially_ not from Andre, the ice-cream man of _lovers._ She didn't love Adrien.

"Um, I'm not sure," she said quickly. "I'll, um, call you when I know. Thanks for the invitation, Adrien. I'll talk to you later." The secret superheroine turned and quickly marched away, heart pounding and head ringing.

God, could her life get any more complicated?

 **Hi, readers! The new chapter is here! I hope you enjoy it. And, in case you didn't know, the next episode of Miraculous has been released. It aired yesterday, is called Gorizilla, and is pure gold! SPOILER ALERT ( but not a big one): we see a bit of Adrien's mom, and the episode has heaps of Adrienette and Ladrien! While Ladrien is not my favourite ship (don't get me wrong, I love all the love square ships, and yes, I KNOW that they're all the same person so it doesn't really matter, but my heart will always belong to LadyNoir and MariChat), it is definitely a great episode. And yeah, my two favourite ships both involve Chat Noir, and yeah, I might just have a bit of a crush on him (don't judge, he's better than a lot of the guys in my life) but PLEASE don't hate on me because my favourites are not yours. In my opinion, we Miraculers are all in this together! Thanks for the reads, follows, favourites, and reviews. Until next time!**

 **~xoxo Miss Eucalypt Writes**


	13. Chapter 13

Marinette capped her pen with a dramatic flourish. "Done, Tikki!" she cried happily.

The kwami bobbed up and down excitedly. "Good job, Marinette! Now you can do something fun!"

Marinette grinned, packing her homework folder into her school bag. "Any suggestions?"

Tikki bit her lip. "I don't mean to be a pain, Marinette, and I know I'm nagging you, and that you probably don't want to hear this right now, but I think you should work on your Valentine's Dance dress."

Marinette's shoulders tensed, before slumping down again. "I'm not going to the dance, Tikki. What's the point?" she said sadly.

"Are you not going at _all_ , or not going as Marinette?" asked Tikki slyly. Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Haha, very clever," she said sarcastically. "If you must know, I haven't decided yet."

"Marinette, you've only got fourteen days from now to decide!"

"So what?" Marinette glanced at her kwami. "That's two weeks, I've got plenty of time!"

"It'll make life easier if you do it soon," insisted Tikki.

The superheroine raised her eyes to the heavens. "Tikki, the dance is for _couples_. I don't want to keep playing the third wheel. There's no-one I want to go with, so the answer is no, I probably won't go.."

Tikki's eyes widened in surprise.

"...as Marinette," the girl continued. "But I really don't think I should go with Chat Noir either." She groaned suddenly. "Speaking of Chat, I've got a patrol tonight, don't I?"

Tikki nodded silently. Marinette threw her head over the back of her chair, so her bedroom was upside- down.

"Great," she grumbled. "I'll just have to sort out my issues once I get back. Tikki, spots on," she commanded, her voice devoid of expression.

Once her transformation was complete, the pigtailed hero drew her yo-yo, clambered out of her room, and swung away from the bakery. She lost herself in the familiar rhythm of yo-yoing herself across the city, momentarily lost the pain of her broken heart. But it was temporary relief. Pain like that didn't just go away. It would be back to torture her later.

But not now.

Ladybug landed on the Tower. She was alone on the platform. There was no leather-clad partner, smirking at her and cracking jokes. Perhaps he had forgotten. Or maybe he was just late.

Ladybug leaned against a steel beam, sliding down until she was sitting, knees bent so that her legs formed right angles. She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed out at the city, beautiful in the setting sun.

Checking her yo-yo, she realized that if Chat didn't show soon, she might have to call it a night. No sense patrolling without a partner.

The superheroine put her weapon away and continued to look out at Paris. She didn't want to address her problems, even mentally. Being Ladybug was a break from Marinette, even though Marinette didn't see them as different people. No one knew that Paris' guardian was suffering from the same problems as so many other teenage girls. Heartbreak and indecision. Ladybug snorted quietly to herself. Indecision was an old friend of hers. Heartbreak was not. Disappointment, sure, but not to this level.

Ladybug stood, ready to leave. She clenched her fists at her sides and stared out at her beloved Paris. Could she face her emotions? Would she ever get over her pain?

She knew what most people would say. That of course she could, she was Ladybug, the incredible hero of Paris. That she could do anything.

But she was also Marinette, and she just didn't know.

Shaking her head at herself, the red-suited girl turned to leave. She gasped and flinched when she saw her partner leaning against the very beam she had just been sitting against. He gazed at her intently out of his glowing emerald eyes.

"Evening, m'lady."

"Chat Noir, you should really stop sneaking up on me like that," scolded Ladybug.

He stretched, cat-like, and gave her his iconic grin. "Sorry, m'lady. Didn't mean to make you suf _fur_."

Ladybug couldn't help herself. She laughed. "I'm pretty sure your puns are getting worse."

Chat feigned hurt, pouting. "Aw, come on. I've heard worse!" He looked over and noticed that the laughter had fallen off his partner's face. He bit his lip. His lady seemed to be having mood swings again. Last time he'd bothered her when she'd been like this, it really hadn't ended well. He winced at the memory of the furious fire in his lady's eyes. However, she seemed more sad than irritated this time, so he decided to take the risk.

Anything for his bugaboo.

"Rough day at school?" he tried cautiously, preparing himself for the force of her rage. But it didn't come.

Ladybug sighed and continued to stare out at Paris. "You could say that."

Chat desperately wanted to ask her why but restrained himself. It was time for phase two, and he couldn't stuff this up.

Ladybug didn't meet Chat's eyes. She kept looking over the lights of Paris. Night had fallen, and ordinarily now she would be running over the rooftops, patrolling the city. But she wanted to stay here, under the stars, talking with her partner. She kind of wanted to tell Chat Noir why she'd had a rough day. But she wouldn't for two reasons. One, her heartbreak was meant to stay in her civilian life. This was her escape, and it had no place here tonight. Two, Chat Noir's intentions had been good when he had sent her to meet Adrien. He had truly been trying to give her happiness and did not deserve to hear of her pain.

"Ladybug?" Chat's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, thank God. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Kitty," she replied listlessly.

Chat exhaled. He could do this. "How was your talk with Adrien last night? When's your first date?" He worked hard to keep his voice curious and joking. He had to be convincing if this was going to work.

Ladybug stiffened like she'd just seen Medusa and had been turned to stone. He could only just hear her breathing- shallow and gasping.

"LB? Are you alright?" This time it was careful concern. Chat reached out to touch her. She felt as cold as ice.

"I'm sorry, Chat," she whispered, voice cracking. "Can we not talk about it right now, and just go on patrol? Please?" Her voice was pleading, and it cut him like a knife to hear the pain in it- pain he had caused.

"Sure," he said gently. "But LB…."

"Yeah?"

"My mama used to say that a problem shared was a problem halved. Maybe if you told me later, it would make you feel better." Chat felt bad for manipulating her into telling him, but he desperately needed this. It was all part of the plan.

"'Used to say'?" asked Ladybug. "Did you lose your mother?"

Chat wanted to curl into a protective ball, just as he always did whenever someone brought up his mother, trying to shield the precious few memories of her that he had left. But he answered her question. "Yes."

"I'm sorry," said his partner gently.

"Yeah, well, thanks, LB." Chat ran his clawed hand through his hair, messing it up even more.

"Patrol?" asked Ladybug.

Chat grinned, and bowed deeply, extending his baton. "Ladies first."

By the time he looked up, Ladybug had already leaped off the Tower and was dipping downwards. Smiling, he followed her, and the guardians of Paris began to patrol their city.

Later, an exhausted pair of superheroes came to rest again on their starting point. Both panting, they stood quietly for a minute, catching their breath. Their uneventful patrol had ended with a grueling race to the Eiffel Tower that had tested their parkour skills and left the two competitors out of breath.

Once their chests were no longer heaving and they were breathing normally again, Chat turned to Ladybug. "I don't want you to feel like you're being pressured to do this, m'lady," he said gently," but if you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."

Ladybug's shoulders slumped, causing the moonlight rolled over her suit with the movement. She sighed heavily. "Okay. So I went to Adrien's and talked to him. He said… that you'd told him that I turned you down for him." Ladybug went slightly pink beneath her spotted mask. "Then he said that there was something he needed to tell me. I got excited, thinking that he was going to say that he loved me…." Ladybug stopped and turned away, leaving Chat with a view of her back.

"Look at me, LB," said Chat softly, scooting around to face her.

"Adrien rejected me," she said flatly. "He- he wasn't nice about it either. Wasn't considerate of my feelings at all. He said that there was another girl. I…. was really upset, and I- I didn't want him to see that he'd hurt me. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction." Ladybug's gloved hands curled into fists, tight little balls of anger. Then she looked up at Chat, eyes glossy with unshed tears. Then she broke. Her careful damn that had been holding back her emotions burst, and she began to sob, trying to twist away from her partner.

Chat Noir was having none of it.

Instead of letting her try to hide her tears, Chat grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. "Shhhh," he whispered into her hair, stroking her back gently. "It's gonna be okay."

She trembled. "I'm so sorry, Chat." Her voice was muffled, as her face was pressed against Chat's chest. "It's just that… he broke my heart, really and truly, and it was meant to stay in my civilian life! Patrol was meant to be an escape because no-one thinks that their wonderful _Ladybug_ will have all the problems of an average teenage girl. I was meant to go out and have a nice time with you, and forget about him! But I just can't." Her tears came down like tiny waterfalls.

Chat let her cry, holding her close the whole time. His arms were wrapped beneath hers, encircling her narrow waist, pressing her to him. Not in _that_ way, but because it would stop her from shaking so much as the sobs wracked her body. She wept into his chest, and Chat's heart ached for the pain that he had caused her.

After a long minute, Chat loosened his grip and held her by the shoulders. She gazed up at him, her bluebell eyes gorgeous in the moonlight. He smiled tenderly and brushed her tears from her cheeks with his gloved hand.

"You know, I think I know what might cheer you up." Suddenly Chat grabbed her hands and twirled her around like they were on a dance floor, not on the cold steel beams of the Eiffel Tower.

Ladybug wasn't ready and slipped out of his grasp. She stumbled towards the edge, and she lost her footing. Ladybug cried out, arms flailing, eyes wide with fear. Chat lunged forwards, only one thing going through his head.

Their hands joined as Chat grabbed her, managing to pull her back to safety. He knew that she would have been able to yo-yo away and save herself if she actually _had_ fallen, but that didn't matter to him.

They stood close together, facing each other, hands clasped and held at chest level. Chat gazed down at her, unable to keep the pure adoration out of his eyes. Never before had he wanted to kiss her so badly, to declare his undying love, to pick her up and crash his mouth down onto hers. The only thing restraining him was the knowledge that if he did kiss her, his entire plan would go down the drain, and he'd probably end up hurting her even more. Better to wait until he'd carried out the plot, and all his dreams would come true.

He smiled at his lady. She smiled back. "Sorry, Kitty," she whispered. "I wasn't ready."

"Then let's try again, shall we?"

This time, Ladybug didn't fall. They moved together so well, each other's motion so familiar that it almost felt like they'd done it before.

But that was impossible. Chat knew for a fact that he'd never waltzed with his lady.

It didn't matter now. All that mattered was that his plan worked, and that Ladybug got the happiness she deserved.

 **Hi again! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it, but I have no idea why it was so much fun! By the way, my writing schedule might be a bit unusual this week, as I have a basketball grand final to train for. However, I'll try to get you at least two chapters, so stay tuned!**


	14. Chapter 14

If last night had been a dream, this morning was a nightmare.

Okay, yes, that was an exaggeration on both counts. Last night hadn't been a dream, though it was certainly surreal. And this morning wasn't _quite_ a nightmare, but it wasn't fun either.

Marinette lifted her head from her pillow, groaning. She slammed her hand down on her phone screen. The horrible ringtone that had woken the girl in the first place came to an abrupt halt, and the face of Alya Cesaire filled the screen. The redhead opened her mouth, no doubt about to rattle off something long and important, but Marinette got there first.

"Alya, what gives? It's early and I was sleeping," grumbled Marinette.

The blogger snorted sarcastically. "You would have been late anyway, take it as a favour. Boy, have I got a bone to pick with you, girl!"

"Was it really so important that it couldn't have waited two more hours?" asked Marinette yawning and checking the time.

Alya glared. "Yes, it is so important, and yes, it's gonna wait two hours. I was simply calling to warn you, as we all know that you function about as well as a microwave with a fork in it in the mornings. So get up, _eat up_ , and prepare yourself for a serious tongue-lashing. And girl, I noticed that you haven't been eating much lately. Cut it out, okay? If you're trying to get that perfect Ladybug body, then stop. I've seen you in a bathing suit, and if I was Adrien, I'd be falling for you _hard._ "

Alya didn't seem to notice her friend's face darken when Adrien was mentioned.

"See you in a bit, M. Don't you dare fall back asleep." The redhead hung up, leaving Marinette confused and angry. Confused because she had no idea what she'd done to deserve a scolding from Alya. Had- had she found out about Marinette's secret? No, she couldn't have. After all, she'd mentioned Marinette trying to get 'that perfect Ladybug body'. Marinette snorted to herself. If only Alya knew…..

Marinette slumped back into her pillows, wishing she hadn't been woken up. Her bed was so warm and cozy, and the pillows were so soft. School was hours away…

Her eyelids began to droop. Tikki flew up. "Uh-uh, Marinette! You heard what Alya said! No going back to sleep. You should get up and get ready for school."

"Tikki, it's cold, early and I'm going through an emotional crisis," came Marinette's voice, muffled through her thick duvet.

Tikki sighed, flew down, and tore the covers of her chosen, earning a furious cry.

"Tikki!" protested the girl, snatching her blankets back. Tikki held firm.

"No, Marinette. I get that you're going through a tough time, but wallowing in bed isn't going to solve anything. You'll only feel worse, and that'll mean Adrien has won. You don't want that, do you?"

"Are all kwamis so manipulative?" grumbled Marinette. "I wasn't _wallowing_ , Tikki. I just wanted to sleep! It's cold!"

Tikki wordlessly pointed at Marinette's fluffy pink dressing gown, which the kwami used as a bed on chilly winter nights. Marinette groaned, but pulled it on.

"I'm not getting out of bed yet," she said sternly, tugging the hood over her silky blue locks.

When her kwami tried to object, Marinette continued. "Instead, I'm going to lie here, and read my novel for English, so I can get a head start. Okay?"

Tikki considered the idea, head tilted to one side as she thought. "I guess that would be fine," she admitted. "But no more than twenty minutes, okay?"

"Yes, mother," said Marinette with a cheeky grin, picking up her novel and beginning to thumb through it.

Adrien spat a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink, then gargled mouthwash, all the while glaring at his kwami, who was hovering beside him, munching camembert. Adrien was very tempted to pour mouthwash over the cheese, just to see if it made it smell any better. At this point, where he was going through an air freshener each day, Adrien was willing to try anything. He'd already earned some raised eyebrows from wardrobe and makeup when he'd shown up to shoots wearing camembert-scented clothing. He'd also heard a few comments about the rich having odd tastes.

On second thoughts, maybe the mouthwash wasn't such a good idea. He didn't want Plagg any angrier than he already was.

Last night, Adrien and Plagg had had their biggest argument ever. Adrien had jumped through his window and detransformed, flopping down onto his bed. He'd been almost over the moon. The evening had been like a dream. His plan was going well so far, and Adrien was overjoyed.

Plagg didn't agree with his chosen.

The minute Chat Noir had become Adrien again, Plagg had rounded on him. "I hope you know what you're doing," he'd snarled.

Adrien had replied that of course he did and that there was nothing to worry about. Plagg had still been angry. He'd started yelling at Adrien, ranting on and on about how much pain he was causing Ladybug, how selfish he was, and how he wished Adrien wasn't so blinded by love that he couldn't see the outcome of his 'airheaded plan'.

Adrien had snapped back at Plagg, and they'd argued back and forth until Plagg had dropped the bomb.

"Do you realize, that in order to keep Ladybug safe from akumas, that it can drain a kwami's power?" Plagg had roared. "Ladybug is heartbroken, and therefore vulnerable. Tikki will be doing everything in her power to keep her safe, but it's tiring. Ladybug's powers may start to weaken, and it could have a terrible effect!"

Adrien had, quite frankly, been shocked. He'd thought that the whole 'keeping Ladybug away from akumas' thing had been as simple as regular meditation and advice. But apparently, it was taxing on Ladybug's kwami, her source of power.

If Adrien wasn't happy about it, then Plagg was devastated. It was clear to Adrien that he had feelings for Ladybug's kwami, but they seemed to be complicated.

The model ran a hand through his hair. He had some things to think over, and fortunately for him, he had a mind-numbing Chemistry lesson today, which would be put to good use.

Lucky him.

Marinette strode purposefully up to the girl in a familiar flannel shirt. She'd had a pretty good morning, considering her emotional status. She had made a good start on her novel, had a hot shower, and delicious breakfast. Her hair was on its best behaviour, and she'd finally gotten the opportunity to wear the poncho she'd knitted last summer. She felt fresh and clean, and was determined not to let Alya's tongue-lashing spoil it.

She reached her friend, and cleared her throat.

"Hi, Alya."

The girl spun around, sneakers squeaking against the pavement. She raised her eyebrows at Marinette. "Hi, M. Cool poncho, I like it." She continued to stare at the bluenette, evidently waiting for something.

Marinette realized what it was, and sighed. Running a hand through her silky locks, she spoke. "What did you want to tell me off for, Alya?"

The blogger gave a satisfied smirk, which quickly darkened into a thunderous scowl. Marinette tried to mentally prepare herself before the hurricane hit.

Alya glanced around, checking that no one was in earshot, then grabbed the front of Marinette's poncho and pulled until they were almost nose-to-nose. " _Why,_ " she whisper-shouted, " _for the love of all that is good, did you_ TURN DOWN ADRIEN AGRESTE?" She yelled the last part, breathing heavily.

Marinette gulped. "How did you hear th-that?" she stammered nervously. When she found out, she was going to make them sorry.

Alya glared, and whipped out her phone, Ladybug charm bouncing as the redhead tapped in some commands, then shoved the device into Marinette face. The secret superheroine blinked as she read the display, which was an exchange of texts between Nino and Alya.

NINO: Yo, Als, is Marinette busy this Friday evening?

ALYA: Dunno, why?

NINO: Because I just asked Adrien if he wanted to hang on Friday since you're busy, but he said no because apparently he asked Marinette if she wanted to get ice-cream and she hasn't given him and answer, so he doesn't want to get double-booked.

ALYA: I swear that's the longest text you've ever sent me.

ALYA: WAIT

ALYA: ADRIEN ASKED M OUT?!

NINO: Yep.

ALYA: Holy crap that girl is dead. WTH is wrong with her?

Marinette pushed the screen away and smiled nervously up at her friend. "Yeah, well, about that," she began, twisting her fingers nervously, "My, uh, parents have been really busy and they have to cater for a wedding on Saturday so I'll be helping them out," she finished. Truthfully, her parents were doing no such thing, and most likely she'd be sitting on her room or on patrol on Friday.

Alya looked at her friend skeptically. "So you'd rather help in the bakery than go out with Adrien, aka THE GUY YOU'VE BEEN CRUSHING ON FOR THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS?"

"I don't really have a choice, Aly-" cut in Marinette, but the blogger was having none of it.

"Where is your brain, girl?" she cried. "Your parents _totally_ ship you and Adrien! They'd understand! I swear, you've been totally out of it the past few days!"

Marinette shrugged. "I've had to play catch-up on heaps of work, so I've been pretty tired. Plus, I've got a project…"

Alya just rolled her eyes and checked her watch. She flicked a glance towards Marinette. "Don't you dare move," she ordered. Without another word, the flannel- wearing blogger marched off, striding purposefully towards the crossing between the school and Marinette's house.

Marinette immediately realized what her friend was up to, and sprinted after her, cursing. "Alya!" she cried, catching her friend just before she crossed the road. "Don't you dare!"

Alya brushed Marinette's hand off her shoulder. "I told you not to move," she said sternly. "This is for your own good." The redhead suddenly dashed across the street, quickly rounding the corner and disappearing into the bakery.

Marinette swore, but didn't bother following. By the time she got to her friend, Alya would have finished her conversation with Marinette's parents. Sure, she meant well, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be consequences- consequences that would fall right on top of Marinette.

Well, she couldn't do anything about Alya, at least not now. Marinette spun on her heel and began to march back to school.

Nino Lahiffe was going to be sorry.

Five minutes later, Marinette walked into the classroom and took her seat, a smirk worthy of Chat on her face. She'd marched into the classroom, grabbed Nino by the shirt and dragged him out the door, much to the DJ's annoyance. He'd protested for a few seconds, but had shut right up when Marinette had gotten stuck into him. She had ranted for a solid minute about what had just happened, and that next time something like this occurred, there was absolutely no need to tell his girlfriend. Nino had apologised quickly, and the furious girl had softened, and told him that she understood that his intentions had been good. Nino had practically ran back into the room, and Marinette stayed outside, firing off texts to Alya, demanding that she tell Marinette exactly what had gone down in the bakery.

Now, as Marinette took her seat, the redhead came flying through the door, arms full of books and face as red as a tomato. She flopped down next to Marinette, breathing heavily as the final bell went off.

Ms. Bustier raised an amused eyebrow at the out-of-breath Alya. "Cutting it close, Miss Cesaire," she remarked dryly, earning a chuckle from a few students- Marinette included.

Alya flipped her hair and grinned at the teacher. "I like to keep you on your toes, miss," she joked.

Ms. Bustier smiled back, then began taking the role.

Marinette elbowed Alya. "Did you talk to my parents?" she muttered. "What did they say?"

Alya flashed her a smug smile. "Yes, I did, and guess what?"

"What?" Marinette whispered, her throat dry.

"You and Adrien are getting ice-cream this Friday: no exceptions, no excuses."

Crap.

 **Hi readers! Thank you so much for your patience with me! I took a while with this chapter because of my basketball commitments. I am absolutely terrified for my final, so writing makes a good escape! And it's even better when you guys read my writing! Thanks to the readers who left reviews/ favourites/ follows! Sorry that I don't reply to reviews very much, but just know that your comments are greatly appreciated! Love you guys!**

 **~xoxo Miss Eucalyptus Writes.**


	15. Chapter 15

Until previously, Adrien hadn't known what it was like to be stuck in the middle of a friendship rift. Sure, he'd seen it happen before in many, many movies, but seeing wasn't really experiencing. Yes, he'd seen a few Nino/ Alya arguments, but those never lasted long, and he had Marinette there to ride it out with him.

But now Adrien knew exactly what it felt like, and it was most definitely not pleasant.

He'd been late for school due to an impromptu photo shoot that started at the most ungodly hour imaginable, and ended quite some time later. Therefore, he'd missed homeroom, but managed to make it into English with Ms. Bustier. He'd taken his seat next to Nino, who was organizing his notes. The lesson began quickly, and so the pair had no time to chat, and were forced to pay proper attention, as Ms Bustier was going over the study guide for next week's test.

Adrien was a good student, with grades high enough to please his father, who was satisfied by almost nothing. Perhaps it was just the effect of being tutored by some of France's finest, or perhaps Adrien just had a natural intelligence. Whatever the case, he could afford a few missed questions.

But Gabriel had been on the warpath lately. Maybe a business deal gone sour, or just no inspiration for designs. Adrien wasn't sure, but knew that it was best not to slack off while his father was like this. 'Not slacking off' meant perfect marks, and that required Adrien's full attention during lessons.

Physics followed English, relieving Adrien. Physics was his best subject, so he wouldn't have to work quite so hard.

After spending forty-five minutes in the classroom, Adrien could sense that something was amiss. It wasn't a warm day, but there was a kind of frostiness in the air that didn't have anything to do with the temperature. The model didn't know what had caused the coolness, but he intended to find out.

Recess couldn't come quickly enough, and Adrien practically flew out the door in his hastiness to discover exactly what he had missed. When he skidded to a halt in front of the quartet's usual bench, he was stunned.

No one was there.

Marinette was talking to Alix, and standing over by the basketball hoop. Alya was twenty meters away, sitting by herself in a corner, using her mobile phone. And Nino was in a conversation with Max, a fair distance away from the two girls.

Now, ordinarily, Adrien wouldn't have minded. They were perfectly entitled to hang out with other students. But after feeling the tense atmosphere of the classroom and seeing the considerable distance between his friends, Adrien was sure that something was up. And he intended to find out what.

The blonde marched up to Nino, and -always the gentleman- coughed politely. Nino turned around, surprised.

"Adrien, my bro," he greeted cordially. Max nodded at Adrien.

"If you'll excuse me, Adrien, Nino, I have to go." He walked off, leaving the two boys standing alone.

Adrien looked at Nino. "Hey, Nino, where's Alya and Marinette?" he asked, pretending that he hadn't just seen them less than a minute ago.

The DJ's face turned suddenly stormy, and he shot a glare in Marinette and Alix's direction. "Over there," he muttered sullenly, pointing out their respective positions.

Adrien looked at the girls again. They hadn't moved since he'd walked into the courtyard. "Oh, right. Any particular reason why we're all, you know, seperate?"

Nino shrugged and moved to pull out his phone. "No."

Adrien eyed him with what Alya called his RBF, or Resting Beyotch Face to keep it PG. It was basically Adrien looking at someone like, _seriously?_

Nino sighed and gave in. "Fine," he snapped, annoyed. "We had a fight."

Adrien still wasn't satisfied. "During homeroom?" he inquired curiously.

"Before school."

"About?" pressed the model.

Nino groaned. "It's hard to explain, and I don't feel like talking right now. Go ask M or something."

Adrien nodded. "Fine, I'll stop bothering you. Let's go." He grabbed Nino's jacket and began to drag the surprised boy over to where Marinette was standing.

"Hey!" protested Nino. "No way, bro! Marinette practically hates me!" He tried to prise Adrien's fingers off his clothes, but the blonde just tightened his hold.

"Come on, Nino," said Adrien. "She doesn't _hate_ you."

Nino shook his head so hard that his headphones nearly fell off. "You didn't see her face when Alya told her," he muttered. With a quick movement, he shrugged off his jacket and dodged away from Adrien. "Haha! You are _not_ getting me over there. No way, Jose!"

Adrien sighed and threw Nino his jacket. God, it was just Marinette. Anyone would think that he was dragging Nino to the guillotine, the way he was carrying on.

He kept walking towards Marinette. The bluenette felt his gaze and glanced towards Adrien. Her facial expression immediately went from relaxed to horror- movie white. She looked like she'd just encountered a ghost, and her pale face contrasted sharply with her midnight hair.

Adrien placed a hand on her shoulder, and felt her flinch slightly under her touch. "Hey, M. Hey, Alix."

Alix smiled at him. "'Sup, Adrien." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the pink-haired girl smirk at Marinette. "I've gotta go to the library, work on that history assignment. See you around, you two." She walked off with a wink at Marinette. The bluenette glared fiercely in response.

"So, Marinette," began Adrien, removing his hand from her poncho, "I wanted to ask you something."

Marinette's blue eyes widened. They reminded him of Ladybug's thought Adrien dreamily. The same gorgeous colour.

"What about?" she said finally, stammering a little.

Adrien flexed his fingers before replying. "Well, it's about Nino and Alya. You three all seemed kind of tense during class. I asked Nino about it just now, and he said you guys all had some argument, but he couldn't explain it. He told me to ask you, but wouldn't come over himself. He said you hated him, or something?"

Marinette went a deep red. But not in an embarrassed way. It was more of an angry flush. "I don't _hate_ him," she replied crossly. "I just got angry with him. That's all."

" _Very_ angry, by the looks of it," noted Adrien. "I'm pretty sure that he's now terrified of you."

Marinette rolled her eyes and muttered something about Nino being a drama queen.

Adrien laughed. "A drama queen, huh?"

Marinette shrugged, slightly self-conscious. "Well, yeah. It's not like I punched him or anything."

Adrien cracked a smile. "Not like that other guy."

Marinette looked at him, confused. "Huh?"

"That guy that annoyed you on Monday night. You said that you'd punched him," explained Adrien. "So obviously, the argument couldn't have been _that_ bad if you didn't give Nino a right hook to the nose."

Marinette didn't smile. "Yeah, well, I might have overreacted," she muttered.

"Care to tell me exactly what the fight was about?"

Marinette sighed, and looked away. "It's complicated, but okay." She brushed her bangs out of her face. "So Nino texted Alya, asking her if I was busy on Friday. She didn't know,and asked him why. He said that is was because he had asked you if you wanted to hang out on Friday, but you said no because you were waiting for a reply from me. Alya was really surprised, and when I told her that I had to help my parents, she walked over to the bakery and talked them into letting me off. That's why she was late. And then I got angry at Nino for telling ALya because, uh, now my parents might struggle and I don't want to stress them out. And I was angry at Alya _and_ Nino, so they're both kind of avoiding me. I think Nino's mad at Alya for telling me that he told her about you, because I yelled at him." She finished and took a breath.

Adrien blinked. Marinette had been right- it _was_ extremely complicated, but he'd managed to grasp the basics. The entire argument was pretty much because he'd asked Marinette to go get ice-cream.

"Marinette, I'm sorry," he said.

Marinette did a double take. "What for?"

"For causing this whole thing. It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't just rescheduled the ice-cream thing."

"Oh. No, don't worry. We'll get through it. It was just a stupid argument. Anyway, I guess I'll be seeing you on Friday, then. Six o'clock? Or is that too late?"

Adrien thought for a moment. "No, that's perfect. I'll pick you up from your house."

"Sure. See you later, Adrien." Marinette walked away quickly, leaving Adrien standing alone, surprised. Marinette had been more talkative than usual, but then she'd suddenly turned brisk again. It was almost as though she disliked him but had forgotten, then remembered again. But he didn't think Marinette disliked him. Maybe when they'd first met, but not now. She was probably just having a bad day. That must be it.

On the bright side, though, she and Adrien would be getting ice-cream at Andre's on Friday. Hopefully that would cheer her up.

Marinette pulled the locker open roughly, and began to snatch books from it until her arms were full, the stack balancing precariously. The girl rested her forehead on the cool metal door, and tried to breath deeply.

She did not like Adrien Agreste. She did not like Adrien Agreste. She did not like Adrien Agreste.

So why on Earth had she agreed to get ice-cream with him?

Yeah, Alya had kind of forced her into it. But she could just make up some lie, say she needed to check in with her parents just to be certain they didn't need help, or some such thing. But she hadn't and now she was spending her Friday evening with the guy who had broken her heart.

 _Goddamn Alya and Nino!_

Marinette tried to even her breathing, which had become shallow and panting. She could do this. She just needed to assess her situation. _Prioritize, Marinette,_ she told herself.

Okay. First of all: pretty much nothing she could do about Friday ice-cream, since her parents knew about it. Yeah, she could fake sickness, but that usually wouldn't fool her mother. Actually, if Marinette even tried, Sabine would think she was mental, as she didn't know that her daughter was no longer in love with Adrien.

Secondly: she needed to sort out this fight. It was pointless, and even though Marinette couldn't really tell Alya about her pain, the superhero needed some support.

Maybe she was being stupid, for not telling Alya about her feelings for Adrien. But honestly, it would probably seem very suspicious. _Yeah, the boy who I've been completely crazy about for a year? I'm not interested in him anymore._ Alya would want to know exactly why Marinette didn't care for Adrien, and that could get messy.

Truthfully, Marinette would have loved to spill the whole tale to Alya,except for one tiny little detail: the fact that Marinette was Ladybug. Marinette wished Alya could know about her identity, but that would mean breaking Tikki's golden rule: _No one can know._

That rule was in place for a very good reason. Even if Marinette told someone like Alya or her parents, someone who she would trust with her life, it was still a risk. Marinette wasn't completely certain on how the whole Hawkmoth-possessing-people thing worked, but she was pretty sure that Hawkmoth could see into your mind, and even had access to stuff that was meant to stay secret. If marinette told someone and they were akumatised, then Hawkmoth had won. It was just too much of a risk.

But back to sorting out the argument between Marinette and her friends. She wanted it in the past as soon as possible, just so it was one less worry off her mind.

Marinette straightened up and pushed back her shoulders. She shut her locker, and began to walk to her next class, as the bell was about to ring.

The bluenette climbed the stairs carefully, and was joined by Rose as she did so, both of them struggling to keep their books from falling. As they rounded the corner, the two girls stopped suddenly, gasping in shock at the scene before them.

Marinette's books fell to the ground with a clatter, as she felt her heart break even more.

 **Sorry, I'm such a troll when it comes to cliffhangers. I'm pretty sure that I'm suffering from lack of sleep. I'll try to get the next chapter to you quickly so as not to keep you in suspense. Also, I was going through some previous chapters and spotted a lot of typos and mistakes. If I make spelling/ grammar/ punctuation errors, sorry. I really hate editing my chapters as it can take a while and I do my writing at night, so I just want to sleep. But if I write something that doesn't make sense or is confusing, let me know through private messaging and I'll tell you what I meant to say.**

 **As always, thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

Once Marinette walked away, Adrien had headed up to the classroom. He didn't know how to resolve the argument between Alya, Nino and Marinette, and so with no better way to spend the recess, Adrien grabbed his stuff and walked upstairs.

Straight into a trap.

As he strode around the corner, there was a cry from in front of him.

"ADRIKINS!"

The model groaned quietly. Great.

Chloe pranced up to him and draped an arm around his shoulder. "Finally! I've been wanting to talk to you all day! It's so annoying how other people get in the way, isn't it?" She batted her blue eyes.

Adrien tried to shrug her off. "I guess. Why did you want to talk to me?" He was pretty sure he knew exactly what Chloe wanted to speak to him about, and he didn't like it one little bit.

Chloe widened her eyes, so she looked like she'd just drunk a litre of coffee. "Hasn't your father told you yet?" she gasped.

Adrien fidgeted nervously. "I, uh, I don't know."

Chloe pouted. "Well, what a shame! I suppose I'll have to tell you myself." She smiled up at him. "Don't worry, it's good news."

Adrien felt his stomach sink. He bent to place his books on the ground, in case he needed to push Chloe away. She'd always been the touchy-feely type, and her displays of affection were a little too much for Adrien.

Chloe wiggled closer to Adrien, and glanced around to make sure that nobody was around. Adrien resisted the urge to step back. Yes, he would gently push Chloe off if she tried to kiss him, but he didn't want to offend her. He'd known Chloe for a very long time, and he did _not_ want to make her angry.

"So, Adrikins, you know how the Valentine's Dance is coming up?"

"Yeah," replied Adrien, trying to smile back.

"Well," purred Chloe, "your father wanted you to be able to go, but he wanted you to have an acceptable partner. So he contacted Daddy, and asked if he knew of anyone." She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "And so Daddy recommended someone, and your father agreed."

Adrien felt ill. He remembered his conversation with Nathalie in the car. No, no, no…

"Guess who, Adrikins?" whispered Chloe.

Adrien's mouth was as dry as the desert, but he managed to croak out an answer. "You?"

"Yes!" squealed Chloe. "Won't it be fun? We're _so_ gonna win the cutest couple award. I planned matching outfits, and-"

"Chloe," Adrien interrupted. "I'm not-"

"Oh, don't say that!" Chloe twirled a strand of blonde hair around her manicured finger. "You're _completely_ worthy of being my date. I mean, I know I'm totally fabulous, but you're amazing too!"

"Chloe, that's not what I me-"

"So, I organised a fitting session for Saturday. It's with your father's brand, of course. I just love his evening gowns," gushed Chloe.

Adrien held up his hand for silence. "Look, Chloe, I'm not wearing a matching outfit. And I'm not going to the da-"

"Don't worry, Adrikins, we'll work something out. After all, I was _going_ to wear a blue dress, to bring out my eyes, but that would clash with _your_ eyes. I'm sure your father will have some great suggestions, though!"

Adrien took a deep breath. "Chloe, my father forced me into this. I'm very sorry, and I don't want to disappoint you, but I'm not going to the dan-" He stopped suddenly as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Chloe heard them too. She flashed a sugary smile at Adrien, and put her hands around his neck. "Don't worry about the clothes, Adrikins. I'm just happy that we're a couple!" She glanced towards the sound of steps, and before Adrien could work out what she was doing, he felt her hands move to grab his face.

Chloe pulled Adrien down, and kissed him.

On the lips.

Adrien tried to pull away, but she held him fast. He was forced to keep kissing her, every cell in his body screaming at him to stop.

Then the situation got even worse.

From his left, Adrien heard the dull thud of a pile of books hitting the floor, and loud gasps. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw half of his class standing several meters away, open-mouthed and staring.

At the very front was Marinette.

She wasn't gaping like everyone else. Her mouth was closed, lips pressed firmly against each other. Her face was full of pain and betrayal, like Adrien had stabbed her with a knife. The usual rosy tint on her face had disappeared, and her cheeks were steadily whitening. The girl's arms were empty, and books lay scattered at her feet.

Adrien finally managed to pull away from Chloe. He wanted to turn away and retch, but there were people watching. He wouldn't do that to her, no matter how furious he was.

Chloe turned her head and let her mouth fall into a perfect O, a look of mock surprise spread over her face. "Oh my goodness!" she said, putting her hand to her mouth. "I didn't know we had an audience. Adrikins, I'm sorry, I know you wanted us to make our couple debut at the dance, but you're just so irresistible." She smiled at him, her eyes hungry.

Adrien didn't know how to respond.

He glanced back at his classmates, panicking. His eyes met Marinette's. She turned away, and marched off, fists clenched, mouth still in a tight angry line. Several of Adrien's female classmates peeled off to follow her, shooting Adrien looks of contempt.

Adrien shook Chloe off him and strode off, heading in the same direction as Marinette. He had to find Nino. Oh god, this was a nightmare.

His classmates whispered as he walked past. Adrien ignored them, and broke into a sprint. Forget Nino's argument, Adrien needed support.

But first he stopped at a bubble tap. He needed to wash out the horrible taste in his mouth.

Oh god.

MLBMLBMLB

Comforting hands patted Marinette's back, and reassuring words drifted around her. Marinette didn't hear or feel any of it. She was too absorbed, trying to process what she'd just seen.

Adrien kissing Chloe.

Chloe kissing Adrien.

How? Why?

She hadn't thought it was possible for Adrien to hurt her more. But this was salt in the wound. It stung, fierce and painful.

She didn't know what to do. She needed help, advice, anything. She needed Alya, needed Tikki, needed her parents, heck, she even needed Chat Noir. Just comforting words from someone close to her heart.

Then, like a guardian angel, Alya appeared. A furious pillar of flannel, denim, glasses and ombre hair. She knelt down, and put her arms around Marinette, hugging her tightly. Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the sudden tears.

"Girls, she'll be fine. You guys head back to class, and tell Ms. Bustier that we'll be there soon. Thanks."

Marinette's friends left the locker room, murmuring encouraging words. Alya waited for them to leave, then spoke. "You okay, M?" she asked gently.

Marinette sniffed and nodded.

Alya hugged her again, and Marinette lost control. She burst into tears and cried into her best friend's flannel shirt, tears soaking the fabric.

Alya didn't push her away. She patted Marinette's back and stroked her hair, whispering words of comfort. "Shh. You're gonna be okay. Shh."

"I hate him!" cried Marinette. "He bloody invites me out for ice-cream and then goes and kisses Chloe! How could he? My heart feels…. shattered."

Alya bit her lip. "Oh, Marinette, I'm so sorry. It's my fault that you have to go get ice-cream with him. I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'll just say that I'm sick."

Alya hesitated, then nodded. "Do you want to go home?" she asked.

Marinette brushed away the tears on her cheeks. She opened her mouth to reply,but before she could, the locker room door creaked open. Ms. Bustier peered in, her eyes full of concern.

"Marinette, are you alright?" she asked gently. "I understand that the, er, _events_ that occured before class may be traumatic for you. Perhaps you'd better go home."

Marinette nodded silently, and slowly got to her feet. Alya copied her movements, and put a consoling hand on the bluenette's arm.

"Alya, you'd better go with her," added the teacher.

Alya was stunned. "Me?"

Ms Bustier nodded kindly. "Yes. I think Marinette may need support from you."

"Thank you, miss," whispered Marinette shakily.

"You're welcome, Marinette. I hope you feel better soon."

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette had been hoping to sneak up into her room without her parents noticing, but was unsuccessful. As the door to the apartment was locked and Marinette's house keys were sitting on her desk, the two girls were forced to go through the bakery.

"Marinette? Alya? I didn't expect to see you so soon." Sabine looked up from the register, eyes round with surprise. "What are you doing here? Was there an akuma attack?" Then she saw Marinette's bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face. "Oh, sweetheart." The petite woman rushed out from behind the counter to hug her daughter.

Alya watched mother and daughter embrace. They were so similar, yet so different. They had the same hair, but their eyes were different in both shape and colour. There was a noticeable height difference, too. But their personalities were what really struck Alya.

Sabine Cheng was one of the strongest, most capable women Alya knew. She was constantly hearing things from Marinette about how her parents sometimes had to cater for several events at once, or run the bakery _and_ make wedding cakes at the same time. Such feats obviously required much skill, dedication, effort and passion.

Marinette, though easily flustered and clumsy, was also strong. She was so passionate about so much, and always willing to help. She cared for others, no matter how emotionally broken she was. Alya was fortunate to have Marinette by her side, though many people thought it was the other way around.

Sabine released her daughter from the hug. "Dear, would you like to head upstairs? I think a hot chocolate will do you the world of good. Alya, would you mind staying downstairs for a minute?"

"Of course, Mrs. Cheng."

Sabine waved her floury hand at Alya. "Dear, please call me Sabine."

Alya smiled and nodded as Marinette disappeared around the back. Sabine waited until she was gone before speaking.

"Do you mind telling me what's going on? It's the middle of the day, Marinette's been crying and you've come home with her. I assume you received permission from your teacher?"

Alya nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Ch- I mean, Sabine. Ms. Bustier requested that I escort Marinette home and stay with her, just in case you were busy. She was pretty concerned."

"May I ask what caused Marinette to cry?" asked Sabine, shooting a worried glance in the direction her daughter had gone.

Alya bit her lip, wondering how she was going to explain. "Well," she said slowly, "it's a bit….complicated, but I'll do my best. So, about half an hour ago, at the end of lunch, Marinette and a few of our classmates headed upstairs to the classroom. I wasn't there personally, but when they walked around the corner…" Aya hesitated. "Mrs. Ch- Sabine, do you know about Marinette's feelings for Adrien Agreste?"

Sabine smiled slightly. "Do I ever. Why, Marinette talks about him nonstop!"

Alya exhaled. "Right. So Marinette walked around the corner, and she saw, well, she saw Adrien kissing Chloe."

Sabine gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no, how terrible. My poor girl."

"Marinette dropped her books and ran. Some of her friends followed her, and came to get me. By the time I got to the locker rooms, Marinette was sitting on the ground with her head in her hands. The others went back to class, and Marinette started to cry. Then Ms. Bustier came and said that we could come here."

Sabine took a deep breath. "I understand now. Thank you for telling me, Alya." Suddenly the small woman was hugging Alya, enveloping the blogger in the smell of fresh bread and flour, much like Marinette's usual scent: comforting and warm.

"You're welcome, Sabine."

She smiled sadly. "Would you mind heading up to be with Marinette? You're welcome to stay or as long as you like."

Alya nodded. "Of course. Thank you."

As Alya walked off, Sabine stared out the window and prayed that Marinette would be okay.

 **HAHAHAHAHAHA! KARMA'S A B**CH, ADRIEN!**

 **This was for all of you requesting that Adrien gets what he deserves. Poor little cinnamon roll….NOT.**

 **Also, spoiler alert for those who didn't know, LUKA IS HERE! Luka is Juleka's brother, and apparently Marinette is attracted to him at some stage (?). He will feature in the new episode, Captain Hardrock, which will be released on 30th of March, US Netflix. While as an Australian I will not have access to the episode via Netflix, there will most likely be a YouTube video with the episode for all those who cannot view it on Netflix.**

 **But to be honest, Luka is nowhere near as hot as Adrien and never will be, but it will be absolutely hilarious if Adrien gets jealous of him.**

 **Thanks for reading, and please review if you liked it! Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter!**

 **~ xoxo Miss Eucalypt Writes**


	17. Chapter 17

Marinette hugged her cushion tightly, staring at the wall. Alya sat across from her, perched on Marinette's lounge.

"So, let me get this straight." Alya looked her best friend in the eye, expression serious. "The guy you've liked for practically _forever_ just kissed your arch nemesis, and yet _you still want to get ice-cream with him_? Girl, I know I've said this before, but I'm actually serious this time. _Are you out of your mind_?"

Marinette gave a half smile. "No, I'm not crazy, Alya."

"Then why?" demanded the blogger. "I expect an answer, girl."

Marinette turned her eyes to the ceiling. She wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe she wanted answers. Maybe she wanted revenge. Or maybe, she just wanted some small shred of hope that there was still a chance for her and Adrien.

Except she didn't _want_ there to be a chance with Adrien. Or perhaps a better way of explaining it would be to say that she didn't want to want Adrien's affection, but she did. Her heart was going against her willpower, but Marinette couldn't change it.

Maybe he'd broken her heart. Maybe she hated him. But for some stupid, inexplicable reason, Marinette Dupain-Cheng wanted to spend her Friday evening with Adrien.

Alya tapped her foot impatiently. "I'm waiting."

Marinette sighed. "I don't know. Seriously. Maybe…. Maybe I want to find out why he kissed Chloe. Maybe I want revenge. I guess you could call it a hunch." Marinette tried to make her lame excuse of an answer seem believable.

Alya studied her, then shrugged. "I never pinned you as the kind of girl to want revenge. But then again, you did just see the love of your life in a liplock with Chloe." Alya shuddered.

Marinette huffed. "He's not the love of my life, Alya. Not anymore."

"Sorry. But, you know, maybe we're jumping to conclusions here."

Marinette snorted. "Don't know what you're doing, but _I'm_ stating facts."

The blogger shook her head at Marinette. "Just hear me out, will you? Don't try and interrupt, 'kay?"

"Fine," grumbled Marinette.

"My point is, we don't know for sure that Adrien actually kissed Chloe."

Marinette opened her mouth, about to protest angrily, but Alya held up her hand. "Yes, I know that half the class, including you, saw Adrien and Chloe kissing. But we don't know that Adrien kissed Chloe."

Marinette stared in confusion. Alya sighed, frustrated. She was having difficulty saying what she meant. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is, how to we know that Chloe didn't trick Adrien into it?"

Marinette continued to stare, and Alya took that her an invitation to go on. "We all know that Chloe's a devious, manipulative witch who's completely obsessed with Adrien, much like you were until recently. The difference is, she's way more bold about it than you were. So I wouldn't put it past her to wait until everyone was around, and kiss him, to sort of _force_ him into a relationship, if you will."

Marinette thought about that, then gave a grudging nod. "I guess that's possible," she conceded. "But, Alya…. Chloe said something about them making their debut at the dance. I assume that means that they're going together, which probably means they're dating, which means that they were kissing each other because they're a couple, and that's what couples do."

Alya bit her lip and began to fiddle with her glasses. She hadn't heard about the whole debut thing yet, and she had to admit that Marinette might actually be right, and she, Alya, might be wrong.

For her best friend's sake, she hoped that Marinette was wrong.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien wished there was a patrol tonight.

After his terrible day, he really just needed some time away from it all. He needed to spend some time with Ladybug, who always made him feel better.

But there was no patrol tonight. He knew that Ladybug was a student, and he knew that she was busy. Yeah, he could head out as Chat and hope she would be at their usual meeting place, but it was highly unlikely. He could call her, and schedule a patrol, but that would seem needy, and he didn't want her to think that he was desperate.

Even though he was desperate.

The model was fuming at Chloe. She'd manipulated him so easily. Now he was forced to be in a relationship with her, simply because everyone thought they were dating.

And the only reason they thought they were dating was that Chloe had made them think that.

Adrien had been cross at Chloe before, it was true, but this was more than just a little miffed. This was full on rage at the scheming girl. He couldn't believe that she would deceive him like that. He'd known that she'd had a thing for him for a while (the constant attempts to kiss him might have been a little bit of a give-away), but he'd never imagined that she'd actually stop so low.

Adrien had hated every minute of their kiss. Not just because it was forced, but because it wasn't with Ladybug, his one true love. Maybe it was tacky, but Adrien had been trying to save his first kiss for someone special. Yes, he'd once almost kissed Marinette, but that was just acting. Marinette was a good friend, but from the way she'd looked at him this afternoon, Adrien wondered if she no longer liked him.

She'd looked so hurt. Maybe it was because it was Chloe, her enemy, or maybe it was something else. Adrien didn't know, but he hoped that he'd get some answers from their not-really-a-date on Friday.

The model slumped down into his desk chair, spinning around and around, slowly trying to make himself dizzy. Adrien wondered what to do about the dance. He wanted to go as Chat Noir, with Ladybug. He'd seen the invitation on the Ladyblog, but hadn't mentioned it to his partner yet. She was still pretty upset over the whole rejection thing, and Adrien hadn't thought that is was the time to talk about such things.

Plagg floated over to his chosen, and for once he wasn't stuffing his greedy face with cheese. "Whatcha gonna do, kid?"

Adrien groaned. "I honestly have no idea."

Plagg rolled his luminous eyes. Get out your stupid plan, kid."

Adrien did as he was told. His kwami wasn't great at advice, but by now Adrien was willing to try anything.

Plagg studied the crumpled piece of notepaper, screwing up his face as he did so. "What part are you up to again?"

Adrien frowned, mentally going over everything. "Still phase two, I think," he replied.

"Ah, right. So you still need to make Ladybug fall in love with you." Adrien didn't miss Plagg's eye-roll.

"Yep," said Adrien dejectedly.

Plagg flew over and pinched him. "Quit feeling sorry for yourself, Adrien, and actually do something about it!"

Adrien stared at him. "Is _that_ honestly your idea of advice?"

The kwami shrugged. "I don't _do_ romantic advice. That's Tikki's thing. So, yeah, pretty much."

Adrien was all out of options, so he decided to take the risk. "Okay, what should I do then?"

Plagg muttered something about having a dense chosen. "Hopefully something all romantic and lovely, but don't make it obvious. She's still getting over you."

Adrien thought hard. It had to be discreet, so the whole of Paris wouldn't know about it. Something romantic, yet not obviously so…. What did friends who wanted to be more than friends do?

His mind drifted to Marinette, for some reason. Maybe it was just a random tangent or something. But it gave him an idea. He and Marinette were just friends, and they were getting an ice-cream….. Food…. A meal….

Bingo.

Adrien jumped up from his chair, excited. "I know, Plagg! We can have a picnic!"

Plagg shook his head. "You'll be seen, and it'll turn into an interview."

"Yeah, but we'd do it at night," argued Adrien. "And in a private location."

"Not _too_ private," said Plagg cheekily.

Adrien went pink. "Shut up. I just meant somewhere that won't be packed with people."

Plagg grinned. "Yeah, yeah. I was just kidding. Not bad, Adrien. Not bad at all."

MLBMLBMLB

"Pinch punch, first of the month!"

Pain flared in Marinette's upper arm. "Ow!" she cried, then glared up at Kim. "Wanna hit me any harder?"

Kim grinned at her. "Sorry, Marinette. Guess I got a little carried away!" He dashed off to pinch and punch some other poor soul.

Muttering crossly, Marinette dropped her books down onto her desk, aware that half the class was staring at her. Some were concerned, others curious, and in two cases, gleeful. Those two cases were Chloe and Sabrina (shocker).

The spoiled blonde flipped her ponytail and called out to Marinette. "Well, hi, Marinette! Gotten over that nasty bug you had? What was it again? Oh, wait, I remember now. Jealousy!" She cackled, and Sabrina joined in.

Suddenly Alya was in front of Chloe, fuming. "You take that back right now!" she ordered, slamming her hands down on the desk.

Chloe jumped, then sneered. "Aw, poor little Marinette. Is she so traumatized that she can't talk to me herself?"

Marinette saw red. She got up and stalked over to Chloe's desk to stand beside Alya. "Unfortunately for you, I can still talk to you, Chloe."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "And why would that be unfortunate, you pathetic little girl? Everyone knows that you'd never have a chance with Adrien."

Marinette stared at Chloe for one full second. Then she turned around and walked back to her seat.

"Ha!" called Chloe from behind her. "Scared of me, loser?"

Marinette spun on her heel and smiled at the girl. "No, nothing of the sort, Chloe," she replied. "You see, when I went over there, I was hoping for a battle of wits, but I see you're unarmed."

The room was silent. It took approximately three seconds for the class to work out what Marinette had just said. Then they exploded.

"OHHHHHHHHH! _ROASTED!_ "

"Do you want some ice for that burn, Chloe?" called Alix from the back.

"No need, Alix," replied Alya. "She's already got a heart of ice."

Chloe's right eye twitched, but otherwise, she seemed frozen. She was staring at Marinette, mouth wide open as her classmates swarmed around her, still _ohhhing_.

The door opened, and Adrien walked in. He took in the strange scene and blinked in surprise. "What's going on?" he asked Nino.

Nino gave a delighted cackle. "Chloe just got absolutely roasted by Marinette! It was epic! _And_ I got it on video!" Nino held out his phone and showed Adrien the clip.

Once it was done, Nino started to howl. "It was so classic, man."

Adrien laughed, too. It _was_ pretty hilarious.

The door slammed open again, and Ms. Bustier stormed into the room. "Class!" she cried. "Settle down immediately! Back to your seats!"

The class quietened, and slowly returned to their desks.

"My word," said Ms. Bustier, shaking her head. "Talk amongst yourselves until the bell goes. _Quietly_ ," she added sternly and left the room again.

Alya turned to Marinette, eyes sparkling. "You totally roasted that spoiled brat!" she whispered. "Way to go, girl!" The blogger high-fived her friend.

Marinette grinned and shrugged. "It felt good."

She glanced in front of her and saw a familiar blonde head. She was instantly reminded of what would happen tonight.

How could she have forgotten?

She tried to breathe deeply and told herself that she could always pull out. But deep down, she knew that she wouldn't. Marinette wanted to hear firsthand why Adrien had done the things that he had and broken her heart in the process. She just had to stay calm. No stuttering, no blushing. She couldn't give him any kind of clue about how much he had hurt her, whether it was intentional or not.

An ice-cream from Andre's with the guy she hated. What could possibly go wrong?

 **Hi guys! So so so excited for the new episodes! They are literally my life right now (yeah, pretty pathetic, but anyway). For all my Australian readers, hope you guys have a great Easter holidays! For all my other readers, I don't know what you'll be doing, but have fun! I'll keep posting through the next fortnight while I'm on break, but I might be a bit irregular. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

Marinette tried to leave the school quickly, but she had no such luck. Someone called out to her from the road.

"See you tonight, Marinette!"

She turned to see Adrien waving at her from his car. His bodyguard was looking at her suspiciously. Marinette raised her arm and tried for a smile.

"Yeah, see you." She quickly spun around to cross the road, trying to slow her heart, which begun to beat wildly. Marinette reminded herself why she was getting ice-cream with Adrien. Just to get answers. Nothing else. She was over Adrien Agreste, and nothing was going to make her fall back in love with him.

MLBMLBMLB

Tikki watched Marinette sadly as the girl tried not to look in the mirror. Adrien was due in five minutes, and Marinette, in a bid to convince herself how little she cared about Adrien's thoughts, was refusing to do anything about her appearance.

Well, sort of. The bluenette kept sneaking glances in the mirror and fixing her hair. It made Tikki incredibly sad to watch Marinette, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Telling the girl the truth would only make her angrier.

Because the truth was that no matter how much she denied it, and how much she tried to pretend otherwise, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was still in love with Adrien Agreste, and she always would be. No matter how many girls he kissed, or how many times he rejected Marinette, Adrien was always going to have a place in Marinette's heart. She'd loved him so much for so long that it was impossible to tear herself away. They were soulmates, pure and simple.

It hurt to see Marinette lying to herself like this. Tikki knew that she was doing it because deep down, Marinette _knew_ that she was still in love with the blonde model. But she was too scared, and in too much pain to acknowledge it, and so she didn't.

"It's two minutes to six, Marinette," said Tikki gently.

Marinette's blue eyes flicked to the mirror, then snapped back to Tikki. "I'll head down now." For a moment the girl looked like she was struggling, then blurted out, "Tikki, do I look okay?"

Tikki gave a sorrowful smile. "Of course, Marinette. You look beautiful."

The superheroine was visibly relieved, though she tried to mask it. She opened her purse, fingers trembling slightly, and Tikki zipped in. Marinette closed the clasp, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien was right on time. As soon as Marinette entered the living room, her mother ran over from the window.

"Marinette, darling, his car just pulled up!" cried Sabine, obviously excited at the prospect of Marinette going on a date with Adrien.

Marinette put on a fake look of happiness. "Thanks, Mama." She felt slightly unwell. _Come on, Marinette. You can do this._

The doorbell rang, and Sabine let out a little squeal of excitement. Marinette pushed her shoulders back and opened the door.

 _Oh, God._

Adrien looked absolutely gorgeous. His clothes were the same, but his her was wet and slightly messy like he'd just taken a shower. He was so cute-

 _No! Bad Marinette. You don't like him. Uh-uh, no way._

Adrien smiled nervously. "Hey, Marinette."

"Hey, Adrien," said Marinette clearly. She could feel her knees going weak, and forced them to hold, blaming it on nerves. Nothing else. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure." The blonde followed Marinette into the living room, where Sabine had managed to compose herself.

"Hello, Adrien, dear," chirped the petite woman, leaping up from the sofa. "It's so lovely to see you again."

"Hi, Mrs. Cheng," replied Adrien with a smile. "It's great to see you, too."

"Unfortunately, Tom's busy in the bakery, but he's very glad that you two are spending some time together," chattered Sabine.

Adrien was slightly relieved. Marinette's father was pretty intimidating.

"But I bet you two don't want to listen to me babble on," continued Sabine. "Go and have fun! And, Adrien, please bring her home at a reasonable hour. I'm sure you're a very sensible young man, but you haven't seen what my daughter's like in the mornings!"

Marinette glared. "Mama," she hissed under her breath.

Sabine took the hint, and pecked her daughter's reddening cheek. "Off you go, dears. Have fun!"

The pair said their goodbyes and walked downstairs to the street, where Adrien's shiny silver car was waiting. Adrien's burly bodyguard stood outside vehicle, opening the door when he spotted the two teenagers.

"Thank you," said Marinette, sliding in after Adrien. The man grunted in reply, then got into the driver's seat and took off.

As the car drove along, Marinette spoke. "So, Adrien, do you know where Andre is today?"

Adrien's green eyes widened. "What? No, I thought you did!"

Marinette felt a wave of panic crash over her and began to stutter. "I-uh, no, I mean-"

Adrien started to laugh. "I'm just messing with you, Marinette," he said lightly. "Yes, I do know where Andre is. He's in the Jardin du Luxembourg, in front of the palace."

"Oh. That's nice," responded Marinette. "Do you have a favourite flavour?"

Adrien expression turned sad. "Actually, this is only the second time I've had ice-cream. My diet doesn't really allow sweets."

Marinette pitied him. She couldn't imagine being on a constant diet like Adrien was. It was sad how controlled he was by his father. "Well, you're always welcome to come to the bakery and try out some pastries." Surprisingly, Marinette's invitation was sincere. _Only because you feel sorry for him,_ Marinette told herself sternly.

Adrien beamed. "Thanks, Marinette."

The car came to a halt in front of the lush green gardens. As she climbed out, Marinette breathed in an aroma of freshly cut grass and the perfumes of dozens of different flowers. She sighed happily. Adrien looked at her with a grin.

"It smells great, doesn't it?"

Marinette nodded in reply. Behind her, the sleek car pulled away from the curve, and disappeared down the road. Adrien nudged her gently.

"Earth to Marinette? You want to go find Andre? I don't know about you, but I'm dying for some ice-cream."

Marinette tried to compose herself. "Uh, sure," she replied, stammering slightly and hating herself for it.

Adrien and Marinette strolled through the garden, chatting. Their conversation was mainly Adrien asking questions and Marinette answering them. The bluenette was too busy concentrating on keeping her demeanor cool to think of any good conversation starters. She was having a difficult time, constantly having to remind herself that she was only here for answers.

The sound of Andre's bell rang through the gardens. Adrien heard it and gave Marinette a huge, excited grin. "There he is, Marinette! It's Andre!"

Despite her feelings towards Adrien, Marinette couldn't help but smile. It was kind of cute, the way he was so excited.

Adrien grabbed her hand and began to gently pull her towards Andre. "Come on, Marinette!"

The superheroine flushed a pink that would rival the brightness of the flowers around her. She let herself be dragged along by the enthusiastic boy, heart pounding against her will.

They stopped at the ice-cream stand, Marinette slightly out of breath, not just from the running. Adrien released her hand, and beamed charmingly at Andre.

Andre looked them both over carefully. His large face lit up when he saw Marinette. "Ah, the beautiful Marinette! How are you, my dear?"

Marinette smiled back. "Hi, Andre. I'm good, thank you very much."

Andre winked at her, then leaned in close. "I see you are with your love," he whispered.

Marinette blushed, and didn't reply. Adrien wasn't her love, but she wasn't going to tell the ice-cream man that- not with Adrien right beside her.

Andre turned to Adrien. "I think we have met, my boy," he said thoughtfully. "But I did not get your name."

"It's Adrien," replied the model.

Andre nodded. "Well, Adrien, you are a very lucky young man. You are on a date with the most beautiful girl in Paris!"

Marinette went red, both at the compliment and the 'date'. "Well, ah, it's not really a date. We're friends," she told Andre, who widened his eyes.

"I see," he said. "Will you be sharing an ice-cream, then?"

Adrien looked to Marinette for confirmation. "I'm happy to share, Marinette."

Alarms were going off inside Marinette's head. Paris legend said that these ice-creams were magic, and if you shared one, you would fall in love with them. There was no way she was sharing an ice-cream with Adrien. A few weeks ago, and she would have been over the moon with joy. But not now.

"I, uh, haven't been too well lately," lied the bluenette. "I don't want to to get sick, too."

Adrien shrugged. "I don't mind." He faced Andre again. "Yes, we'll share."

Andre beamed. "Wonderful! Choc-chip strawberry, mint, and blueberry for you two!" He handed over the ice-cream, and Marinette began to rummage in her purse for cash, careful not to disturb Tikki. Adrien stopped her.

"It's my treat, Marinette."

"Oh, no. I'll pay."

Adrien passed Andre a few notes and smirked at the blue-eyed girl. "Too late."

Marinette glared at him. "You don't have to pay for me, Adrien."

Adrien shrugged, a mischievous glitter in his green eyes. "I asked you here in the first place, and my father would have been furious if I let you pay."

Marinette sighed, defeated. "Fine. I owe you."

Adrien grinned. "FIne with me. Thanks, Andre," he said to the ice-cream man, who had been watching their exchange with an amused expression.

"No problem, Marinette, Adrien. Enjoy."

The pair walked away, Adrien clutching the ice-cream. He led Marinette over to an empty park bench and motioned for her to sit. Marinette did so and took a spoon.

"It looks delicious," she said, trying to start a conversation. Maybe she didn't like Adrien, but she had to act natural.

"Yeah," said Adrien dreamily. He tapped his spoon against hers. "Cheers, Marinette."

They both took a spoonful of the treat and placed it in their mouths.

"Mmmmm," sighed Adrien.

Marinette nearly laughed, but then reminded herself why she was here. It was time to start digging- subtly, of course.

The secret superhero scanned her surroundings, trying to find something that might help her, just like she did when she was Ladybug and had just used her Lucky Charm. Her eyes fell upon the ice-cream Adrien was holding.

 _Bingo._

"You know what the strawberry choc-chip reminds me of?" she asked.

Adrien swallowed his latest mouthful of the treat. "No, what?"

"Ladybug," replied Marinette, carefully watching for his reaction.

The blonde nodded furiously. "Yeah, you're right!" he exclaimed.

"What do you think of Ladybug, Adrien?" asked Marinette innocently.

The boy's expression turned dreamy. "I think she's amazing," he sighed, looking like he was a million miles away.

Marinette, who had just taken another mouthful, nearly spat blueberry ice-cream on Adrien. "You- you do?" she choked.

Adrien still had his head in the clouds. "Yeah…. She's so brave and smart and beautiful, and she saves everyone all the time… She's perfect."

Marinette felt dizzy. What the actual _hell_ was going on?

 _Act natural, Marinette._

"Um, yeah, she is pretty cool." Marinette took a deep breath. "Adrien, can I ask you something?"

His head snapped back to her. "Sure."

"Are, um, are you and Chloe d-d-dating?"

Adrien bit his lip and sighed heavily. "I trust you, Marinette, so I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't mean to kiss Chloe. It was an accident, and now I have no idea what to do. We're not in a relationship, so I can't exactly break up with her. My father forced me into going to the dance with her, because she was 'suitable'. So she tried to manipulate me into a relationship by kissing me in front of everyone, and I don't want to go to the dance with her, and...ughhh." Adrien put his head in his hands.

Marinette tried to ignore the emotion blooming in her heart. It had no business being there. She didn't want it to be there. But it was impossible to ignore- hope and relief mixed together.

Marinette hesitated, then spoke carefully. "Just talk to your father, and to Chloe. You'll work something out."

"Yeah, I guess. I want to ask someone else…..but I don't know if she'll say yes." He shook his head suddenly. "Don't mind me, Marinette. Just stupid concerns." He smiled slightly, then offered her the almost- finished ice-cream. "Here, you finish it."

Marinette pushed it back to Adrien. "No, you take it. It sounds like you could do with some ice-cream."

He grinned at her, then wolfed it down. "Thanks, Marinette. Now, I think we'd better get you home. Don't want to be in your parent's bad books."

Marinette nodded gratefully and stood. She had some things to discuss with Tikki.

 **Hi! Yeah, I know I haven't updated for quite a bit, but my parents took my family on a surprise Easter camping trip. Therefore I couldn't warn you guys, and being the skilled person that I am, I forgot to charge my laptop. So yeah. Anyway, thanks for tolerating me. I'm honestly so excited for the next episode of MLB, because Luka! I really, really want to see how the whole Marinette/ Luka/ Adrien love triangle pans out. I kind of ship Lukanette against my will, but no hate, please. Spoiler- Adrienette is going to be endgame anyway (confirmed by Thomas Astruc, the director of Miraculous), so I don't see the harm in shipping Lukanette.**

 **But you're probably sick of me going on, so bye!**

 **~Miss Eucalypt Writes.**


	19. Chapter 19

As soon as her transformation dropped, Tikki was right in Marinette's face, eyes huge and frantic. "Marinette, hurry! We've got to transform you again!"

Marinette was confused. "What? Why?"

"Patrol!" cried Tikki, panicking. "We're an hour late!"

Marinette muttered a curse. There hadn't been an akuma all week, and it was about time one showed up. What if Chat was fighting one on his own? He couldn't purify the akuma. Panic began to take over. She wasn't in love with him, but Chat Noir was very dear to her, despite all the stupid puns. She couldn't allow him to be hurt just because of her!

"Tikki, spots on!"

MLBMLBMLB

His breath rattled in his chest as Chat leaped over the rooftops, going faster than ever before. His superpowers gave him incredible endurance, and it was rare for him to be so out of breath. However, he needed to find Ladybug. How had he forgotten patrol? It was usually one of the highlights of his day, something he longed for. But Chat had gotten so caught up on his not-really-a-date with Marinette that he'd had a complete mental blank.

 _Nice one, Agreste._

He leaped over a chimney, glowing eyes searching for something, anything that might give away the whereabouts of his lady. Surely she wouldn't still be at the Eiffel Tower. He'd check there anyway. It would give him a better view of the city, and maybe Ladybug had forgotten, too.

He pulled his baton out and extended it, latching onto the beams of the famous landmark. Up, up, up he climbed, till the people and buildings below him resembled toys. The height gave him a thrill, just as always. Knowing that he could slip and fall at any moment was a terrifying experience.

Chat Noir thudded onto the place where he usually met Ladybug for patrol. To his disappointment, no one was there. He turned and gazed over Paris, scanning for something, anything that might lead him to Ladybug.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chat caught a flash of bright red. He spun around to inspect it and broke out into a grin.

Ladybug soared through the air, yo-yo clutched in her hand, whirring as she zipped towards the Tower. She landed gracefully (unlike Chat), slung her yo-yo around her hips, then immediately doubled over, gasping for air. Chat rushed over to her, concerned.

"Ladybug! Are you okay?" he cried, putting his arm around her shoulder, then quickly removing it. She held up her red-gloved hand, still panting. Eventually, she straightened.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry that I'm late. I, uh, lost track of time," she said sheepishly, still breathing heavily.

Chat waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, don't worry about it, Bugaboo. I only just got here myself."

Ladybug let out a sigh of relief. Her cheeks were pink from exertion, and her chest was heaving. Chat had to tear his eyes away from the area below her neck, flushing slightly as he looked her in the eyes.

"Oh, good," she said. "I was terrified that there would be an attack. It's about time for one."

"Maybe Hawkmoth's finally decided to quit and let us live our lives," suggested Chat.

Ladybug frowned. "I seriously doubt it. Do you remember how determined he seemed when we fought Stoneheart? Going by that, he's not giving up anytime soon."

Chat sighed. "Yeah. Damnit."

Ladybug giggled softly, then suddenly looked far away. "You know, sometimes I wonder what drives him."

Chat gave her a quizzical look. "What do you mean? What drives who?"

Ladybug rolled her sapphire eyes. "Hawkmoth, you dropkick. I mean, what motivates him to akumatize people? Why does he do it?"

"Oh, right." Chat thought for a moment. "Well, I guess lots of things could," he said slowly. "Anger, revenge…." he paused and looked Ladybug right in the eye, "..love."

Ladybug held his gaze for a second, then shrugged and looked away. "Or maybe he's just a sadist."

"Yeah." Chat drew his baton. "You ready to go? I don't think we should abandon our duties much longer, although I do love spending time with you, Bugaboo." He smirked and put his face close to hers.

She pushed him away, placing her finger on his nose, then turned away quickly. Then Chat remembered.

"How are things going with Adrien?"

Ladybug's shoulders slumped like something had taken all the air out of her. "No change."

Chat felt a twinge of sadness at seeing her pain. "He really did break your heart, huh?"

"Yep. Broken as the ice-cream machine at McDonald's." She gave a dejected sigh.

Chat couldn't help but smile at her comparison, then stopped when he remembered that he was the one who had broken her heart in the first place. He was tempted to blurt everything out but stopped himself. _Remember the plan, Chat._

"You're way too good for him, Ladybug. If I were him, I'd be falling all over you."

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't return my feelings. End of story." She breathed in, then suddenly slammed her hand into the nearest beam.

Chat froze, staring at her. She looked absolutely wild, like she wanted to kill someone. But behind the murderous fire in her eyes was a carefully masked glint of sadness and pain.

"P-patrol?" he suggested carefully, watching her fearfully. The fire died. She nodded.

"Let's go."

As his lady dropped down to the rooftops, Chat remembered the fire in her eyes, and his chest ached.

 _Ladybug, I am so, so sorry._

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette flopped down onto her chair, slowly spinning, eyes to the heavens and groaning. Usually, pain that Ladybug felt didn't affect her when she wasn't transformed, but today was an exception. Every muscle ached, and the bluenette felt like she was going to pass out from exhaustion.

There had been an akuma attack. A mother had gotten upset by the fact that her daughter was growing up so fast, and had been turned into a villain called Reine Enfance, with the power to de-age anyone who got in her way. Chat had managed to destroy the locket where the akuma was hidden, with the help of Ladybug's Lucky Charm- a large shield. The villain had shot a blast at Ladybug, which had rebounded off the shield and hit Reine Enfance, causing her to become a child and making it easy for Ladybug to capture the akuma.

It sounded simple, but in order to avoid being turned into a child, the duo had been forced to take some pretty extreme dodges. They'd both slammed into the ground and walls, and had had various heavy items hurled at them. Marinette was stiff and sore and wanted nothing more to fall into bed. After all, tomorrow was a Saturday. Her chat with her kwami could wait until then.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette's eyes fluttered open. She stretched, then snuggled back into her pillows, revelling in the absence of her alarm.

Some time later, she climbed down her ladder to change. As much as she would have liked to stay in her comfortable pajamas all day, her parents wouldn't appreciate it if she served customers in slippers.

The cold February air had snuck in through the walls and was harsh against Marinette's skin. She pulled on jeans and a sweater- comfortable and warm, yet polished enough to serve customers in.

A streak of red flashed up in front of Marinette's face. "Marinette, you have a message from Chat Noir. He must have rung you last night, after you detransformed."

Marinette winced, reminded of her sore body, which was still aching from last night. "What did he say?"

"He wants you to meet him tonight, at the Eiffel Tower."

"Seriously? Another patrol? I wanted to lie in bed and watch Netflix tonight. Besides, I'm still sore from last night."

Tikki shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I don't know if it's a patrol. Maybe he just wants to talk to you. And Marinette, it'll be good to get out. You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself." Tikki was stern but kind. "I get that Adrien hurt you. I get that you don't want to socialize and stuff. But lying around wallowing in your grief won't help."

Marinette sighed. "Yeah, I know. But that's not just it. I'm really confused. I don't know if you heard what Adrien said last night, but…"

"Oh, I heard." Tikki had been angry at Plagg before, but now she was downright seething. What in the name of all that was holy did he think he was doing? Adrien had rejected Ladybug when he was clearly in love with her. And now he was going around saying that she was amazing. Oh, the next time Tikki saw Plagg, he was going to be sorry.

Marinette groaned. "What does he mean? Does he hate Ladybug, or like Ladybug? Ugh."

"Maybe you should talk to him," suggested Tikki.

"I'll think about it," said Marinette miserably. "I'd better head downstairs. Saturday morning rush hour, and all."

Tikki watched sadly as her chosen trudged down the stairs. Plagg had better have some good explanation for this.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien hoped that Ladybug had gotten his message.

She hadn't picked up when he'd first called her last night, so he'd assumed that she had either detransformed or was busy with something else. Hopefully, her kwami would pass on the message.

Meanwhile, he had work to do.

Strangely enough, his father hadn't scheduled any photo shoots for the day. Usually, he tried to pack in as many as possible whenever Adrien wasn't at school. His father had seemed distracted lately, even more distant than usual. At least he wasn't interfering with Adrien's personal life, although there were times when Adrien wished that his father was more, well, _fatherly._ Between his distance and his mother's absence, Adrien often felt that he had no parents at all. If it wasn't for his friends, he would have felt very neglected indeed.

But today, Adrien was glad that his father wouldn't be around. He had something to do, and it had to be done in secret.

He walked down the stairs, carefully checking that no one was around. No Nathalie, no Gorilla, and no Father. The coast was clear. He turned a corner, went through a door, down a staircase and through another, and found himself standing in the cool, quiet kitchen. His father's personal chef, who prepared meals for the Agreste household, wasn't here yet. Adrien walked over to a large stainless steel door and pushed it open.

Inside were shelves upon shelves of food; biscuits, cakes, fruits, condiments and much more. It was everything Adrien needed, including the woven basket that lay on the floor, tucked under the lowest shelf. He pulled it out eagerly and began to search through all the shelves, picking and choosing what he wanted.

He hoped his lady would love it as much as he loved her.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette wiped her floury hands on her apron, then turned to the next customer, plastering a large smile on her face. "Good morning, madam. How may I help you?" The words and smile were automatic, actions she had done so many times that day that Marinette didn't even have to think about it.

As she handed the woman a loaf of sourdough and a handful of change, there was a call from behind the girl. "Marinette, dear, go grab a bite to eat before the hordes come in for lunch."

Marinette grinned; she was starving, and it was awful to be surrounded by food you couldn't eat while you were hungry.

The superhero climbed upstairs to the kitchen, and heated up some soup, grabbing a few chunks of freshly-baked bread to go with it. As she sat down to eat, Tikki flew out of the pantry, clutching a cookie and chewing. Marinette smiled at her kwami. "Hey, Tikki."

"Hi," she responded with a mouthful of cookie. "You got another message from Chat."

"Really? What was it this time?"

Tikki swallowed before replying. "He wants you to save your appetite before you meet him."

"Huh," said Marinette thoughtfully. "Thanks, Tikki. That's an odd request."

Tikki shrugged. "Maybe he wants to take you out for dinner, or something like that."

Marinette looked pensive. "I guess I'll have to wait and see."

 **Hi guys! Thanks for all your reads, review, favourites, and follows! I know I've said this before, but you honestly have no idea how amazing it is to see how many people like my writing. I never expected this amount of support, especially since I have no experience in this whole fanfic thing. You guys are the best!**

 **PS. When Ladybug called Chat a dropkick, just for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, it's basically calling someone a dope. We use it a lot in Australia (or I do, anyway. It's pretty much my go-to insult).**

 **See ya!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chat Noir waited nervously, the steel tip of his boot tapping against the beam he was standing on. He hoped that Ladybug would come. She _had_ to. Chat mentally ran over the voice message he'd left for Ladybug. Has it sounded desperate? Sinister? Weird? Chat suddenly kicked himself. Oh god, he was an idiot. He hadn't said a time!

He hadn't said a place, either but that was okay. They always, always met at the Eiffel Tower. Neither of the duo had ever suggested changing it, for fear that it might give away some detail about where they lived. Well, Ladybug was scared, anyway. Chat wouldn't mind if Ladybug found out his identity.

On second thoughts…. If Ladybug did find out Chat's identity, he would be dead meat. Ladybug would probably never speak to him again. Maybe it was better that their identities remained a secret, for now at least.

He'd gotten off track, let his thoughts wander. _Focus, Chat,_ he told himself. Worriedly, he pulled out his staff and checked the time, chewing on his bottom lip. Should he call her? Or would that seem too clingy? Maybe she was busy. _Arghhhhh._

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed him from behind. "Boo!"

Chat gave a high- pitched scream, and toppled off the Tower, yelling and flailing his arms wildly. Something looped around his waist and he went still, waiting as he was hauled back up to his original position.

Ladybug was howling with laughter as the pulled him up. Chat smiled at seeing her so happy. It had been a while since she'd truly laughed, and he missed the sound. However, he didn't want to come on too strong, so he settled his features in a cross expression.

"Haha, very funny," he said sarcastically to his red-suited partner, who was still giggling hysterically.

"Oh my goodness, Chat," she laughed, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, "I had no idea your scream was so high-pitched!"

Chat scowled at her.

"You should take on a job as the siren for a police car!"

Chat shook his head at her. "Ladybug, that wasn't funny. If I did that to you, I could come up with _way_ better jokes than that."

"Sure, Chat. Whatever you say." Ladybug finally stopped laughing and looked (semi) serious. "Why'd you ask me to come here, anyway? We don't usually do patrol on weekends."

"No, we don't," agreed Chat. "But this isn't patrol." He hesitated, then decided to go with his instinct and placed his clawed hands on Ladybug's slender shoulders. She looked surprised, but didn't try to move away, filling Chat's heart with hope. "I asked you here because… well, I know you've been pretty down lately, and I thought you needed something to cheer you up. Besides, it might be an opportunity to talk, and actually have a proper conversation." He finished talking and watched Ladybug expectantly, hoping she would stay.

"That's….very sweet of you Chat, and I think my kwami would kill me if I didn't agree to stay with you. She's been telling me not to lie around being sad, to get out and do stuff. So thanks, kitty."

Chat Noir smiled at her but felt some disappointment all the same. Was she only staying because her kwami wanted her to?

"And of course, I want to spend some time with you," added Ladybug. Chat turned to her, a gleeful expression on his tanned face. "You're one of my best friends, Chat Noir, even with your horrible puns." She winked at him, and Chat wanted to keel over in delight.

"So, do want to sit down? I don't know about you, but I'm still aching from that last akuma."

Chat shook his head, smiling slightly. "We're not staying here, Bugaboo."

"Oh?"

He grinned at her. "Nope. Follow me." He drew his staff.

"Do you need me to help you get off the Tower? Or can you manage?" joked Ladybug.

Chat rolled his eyes at her. "Hilarious." He jumped off and heard a whirring noise as his lady followed him.

It took them maybe five minutes to get from the Tower to their destination. Ladybug probably could have beaten him there, but as she didn't know where they were going, she was forced to run behind him. As they jumped over the rooftops, they occasionally heard a citizen calling out something along the lines of, "Look! It's Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Whenever this happened, they would wave at the pointing, staring Parisians, and continue on their way.

Chat extended his staff one last time, propelling himself onto the flat top of their destination: the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Moments later, Ladybug joined him, gazing around.

"Wow, Chat. It's lovely," she said. The noise of the traffic below them muffled her voice slightly, but thankfully she was still audible.

He strode over to the picnic rug he'd laid out and motioned for his partner to join him. She padded over and sat down, gazing in awe at what lay on the rug.

"Chat, if this is all just for us, then there's no way we're going to finish it all."

Chat shrugged. "It's no problem. I'll just take it back home and have it tomorrow night if there are leftovers."

Ladybug smiled at. "Good idea. Now, come and sit." She patted the spot beside her, which Chat eagerly took.

He took her hand and kissed it. "Bon appetit, my lady."

"Bon appetit, kitty-cat."

Chat reached for one of the croissants he'd brought, and sank his teeth into it. It was one of those fancy ones, yet it was nowhere near as delicious as the ones from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

Ladybug had taken a salad sandwich and was eating it in delicate bites. Then again, almost everything Ladybug did was delicate and graceful.

"How is it?" asked Chat, reaching for another croissant. Maybe they weren't the best, but they were still croissants.

Ladybug politely finished chewing and swallowed before answering him. "It's incredible, Chat. Just what I need." She gazed out at the city.

"Ladybug?"

"Mmm?"

"Are y-"

"Chat, you said you wanted to talk, right? Have a proper conversation?" said Ladybug abruptly.

"Well, yeah," said Chat nervously. "I mean, we don't have to or anything."

"Oh, no," replied Ladybug quickly, "I want to talk. It's just that… well, we're going to have to set some limits. You know, like if I ask something and it's too personal, or it might give something away, or anything, you don't have to answer."

"I- yeah, sure." Chat looked at his lady, hair shining in the starlight, and felt a tiny burst of courage. "Ladybug, I've been thinking…"

"About?"

"About our identities. I mean, there are millions of people in Paris. What are the chances that we even know each other?"

Ladybug looked uncomfortable and started to play with one of her raven-colored locks. "Chat… those rules are there for a reason."

"Yeah, you're right," sighed Chat, defeated. If Ladybug had shut down the idea so quickly, then he wasn't going to continue. Nowadays, he was extremely wary of her nerves. The Arc de Triomphe was significantly higher than the last building he'd been pushed off.

He heard Ladybug give a sigh of relief. She was always so stubborn about not breaking the rules. Sure, she could be a rebel sometimes, but when it came to the matter of their identities, she wasn't taking any chances. It was disappointing, sure, but there really wasn't anything Chat Noir could do about it, except maybe snatch her earrings or follow her after she left to detransform, and he wasn't going to do that. Chat had been brought up to always act like a gentleman, and even if his superhero persona was a bit on the flirty side, he wouldn't force Ladybug to do something she didn't want to do.

"Okay, Chat. You up for a 'proper conversation'?" asked Ladybug, a hint of mischief in her tone.

Chat grinned at her. "Bring it, bug."

"What's your family situation? Like, siblings, parents, anything."

Chat stiffened. He didn't have to answer this and didn't really want to. But he'd been holding in his emotions for so long. Nino knew a bit about Adrien's past, but other than him, no one else did. And Ladybug was one of his best friends. She wouldn't tell anyone.

He inhaled deeply. "It's…. kind of complicated. I'm an only child. My dad isn't really a family kind of guy. He mostly leaves me to my own devices, and works in his office. My mom… well, she's not around anymore. She left two years ago, and I haven't seen her since. I have no idea if she's even alive." Chat felt tears began to form, and blinked furiously. Every time someone brought up his mother, he felt like crying.

Ladybug scooted closer to him and placed her arm around him. "Chat… I'm really sorry," she said gently, and Chat could tell from her voice that she was sincere.

He brushed at his eyes. "It's not your fault."

"I made you talk about it. You didn't have to."

He shrugged, feeling the warm weight of her arm move over his shoulders as he did so. "I didn't have to answer. I guess I just needed to talk about it. I don't tell many people, probably because of all the sympathy. I mean, sure, it's nice, but after a while it…. really sucks." He ran his hand through his hair.

Ladybug patted his back. "You can always talk to me. I'm good at keeping secrets."

Chat smiled at her. "Thanks, LB."

"No problem." She moved her arm away and grinned at him. "Now you get to ask me a question."

Chat put his clawed fingers on his chin and hummed thoughtfully. "What's _your_ family like?"

Ladybug considered. "Well, I'm an only child too. My mom and my dad run a business, and we live above the shop. My grandmother travels a lot, but she visits sometimes. My mom's uncle is pretty well-known, and he's from China. He visited us once. That's pretty much it."

"Your mom's uncle is from China?" Chat asked. "Is your mom's side all from China, or just him?"

"Yeah. My mom's side is from China, so I'm half Chinese."

"Wow. So, do you speak Chinese?" Chat asked with interest. To his surprise, Ladybug laughed.

"Oh, god no. I have to use translator apps on my phone, and even that doesn't work out. My mom's fluent in French, so we speak that at home. I'd love to learn a different language, though. It would be amazing."

"What language would you learn?"

Ladybug frowned, thinking. "Well, I considered English, because it seems pretty similar," she began. Chat shuddered. His father had tried to get him to learn English once, and he'd hated it. It was so confusing and difficult, so eventually, Gabriel had let him switch to Chinese. "But then I thought about other European languages," continued Ladybug, "because I want to work in fashion someday. If I got an internship in Italy or Spain, it would be useful to speak the language."

"That's really cool, Ladybug," replied Chat. "It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to learn another language, but if I know you, you'll be able to do it."

Ladybug looked at him interestedly. "Do you speak another language?"

"Yeah, Chinese."

"Wow, Chat! I bet that's really useful. One of my friends speaks Chinese, so I can use him as a translator. He's fluent, but it took him years to master it. I didn't know you could be so dedicated to something."

Chat was about to make some joke about being dedicated to Ladybug, but then remembered her recent pain and stopped himself. It would be wiser to just bask in her admiring gaze for now.

"So, guess we both have ties to China," said Ladybug thoughtfully.

Chat grinned at her, his teeth luminous in the dark. "See? We have loads of stuff in common. You can't deny it now!" he laughed.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "What else do we have in common, Chat?"

"We both have no siblings, and we both play video games," Chat reminded her.

Ladybug shook her head at him. That's three things, Chat. That isn't much."

Little did they know exactly how much they had in common.

 **Hi guys! I know it's been a couple of days, and I apologize, but as it's holidays for me, I had a few social things, most of which went until late, and as I do my writing at night, I couldn't update.** **This chapter will probably have a lot of typos, as my laptop's about to go flat and I really want to get this up so thanks for reading, please review, and bye!**


	21. Chapter 21

The wind was cold, and Ladybug was tired. Not of Chat, or the conversation, she just needed sleep.

"Chat, I want you to know how much I appreciate you doing this for me. It really helped," said the superheroine sincerely.

Chat smiled at her, his teeth very white in the dark. "Anything for you, my lady," he said, standing and stretching. His partner stood too and moved closer to him.

"Thank you, Chat Noir." She hesitated, then quickly leaned in and pressed her cold lips to his cheek. "Goodnight!" The red-suited girl leaped off the building, drawing her yo-yo as she fell, and zipping off into the night.

Chat lifted his gloved hand to his cheek and traced a clawed finger over the place where she had kissed him. He could still feel her lips, and the place burned, even though Ladybug had been cold. Chat kept his finger there for a moment, then smiled.

He was making progress.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette tossed and turned, burrowing down into her pile of pillows, her pink duvet clutched tightly around her. She'd been in bed for twenty minutes, and still felt exhausted, yet she couldn't seem to sleep. What was keeping her up?

The bluenette let out a loud groan, slightly muffled by one of her large pillows. Sensing her chosen's frustration, Tikki floated over to the girl. "Marinette, what's wrong?"

"I'm just so exhausted," moaned the girl, "but I can't go to sleep."

"What are you tired of?"

Marinette put her head in her hands. "Being awake. And of being so ridiculously confused and hurt." Her silky locks cascaded over her pale hands. "Adrien acted like he hated Ladybug, then he said he thought she was amazing. I wasted a year being in love with a selfish liar, and now…. now I just don't know!"

"Marinette?" said the kwami gently.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you should talk to Adrien, about why he did those things," suggested Tikki.

Marinette shook her head. "Remember what happened last time I tried to get answers? I just got more confused and hurt."

"Yes, but you were Marinette then. Maybe Adrien will be more honest if he knows he's talking to Ladybug," argued Tikki.

Marinette sighed. "I just don't know. Maybe I should forget about Adrien, and like someone else, or just don't love any boy again. Except….I don't know if I can get over being hurt. I'm over _Adrien_ , just not the pain," she added quickly, causing her kwami to smile sadly. Marinette was still in denial, and it hurt Tikki to see it.

"You'll get over it, Marinette," the kwami assured her. "Every single Ladybug I've ever had has been hurt just as badly as you, and they always moved on. What boy did you have in mind?"

Marinette looked away, staring at the empty spot on her corkboard where Adrien's photo had once been pinned. Tikki tried to guess the girl's thoughts.

"You seemed pretty comfortable with Chat Noir this evening," she said lightly.

Marinette blushed, her cheeks matching her duvet. "It was just a cheek kiss! And I was only thanking him for cheering me up. Tikki, we're _French_. People kiss their friend's cheek all the time," she said defensively.

Tikki grinned cheekily. "I think Chat has more in mind than just friendship."

Marinette shrugged. "Yeah, well….I think I may have burned that bridge when I told him that there was another guy." She looked regretful for a moment, then her big blue eyes widened. "Just like Adrien did," she whispered.

Tikki tilted her head to the side. "What?"

"When Adrien rejected me, he said there was another girl! I never even thought about it. I'm going to ask him who it is like Chat did to me." She looked like she was trying not to hope, and Tikki felt her heart wrench. _Oh, Marinette..why can't you just be truthful to yourself?_

"Are you sure?" asked Tikki worriedly. "It might be safer to just forget, and give Chat a chance."

Marinette heart fluttered against her will at the thought of Chat Noir. Yeah, she'd kissed him. And yeah, he was cute. But that didn't mean anything!

"Tikki?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"Spots on."

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien was still dizzy from his evening as Chat Noir when his beloved swung through his open window.

"M'la- Ladybug!" The blonde model scrambled to his feet with a huge smile plastered across his face.

The hero's bluebell eyes narrowed. "Hello."

Adrien crossed the room unable to wipe the beam off his face. "What are you doing here?"

She glared at him. "I'm not here for small talk. I just need you to tell me something."

"Anything," he told her, smiling.

She looked at him suspiciously. "When you told me that you d-didn't love me, you said that there was another girl. My.. my friend wants to know who." She stared at him defiantly.

"You want to know who I like?" Adrien wanted to scream, _You!_ But he couldn't.

Ladybug's lips quivered as she continued to glower at him. Adrien stared at them dreamily. Those lips had touched his cheek… so beautiful, soft and pink…

Then he realized that Ladybug was waiting for him to answer. "Um, ah," he stuttered, trying to think. Her lips were so pink….pink...Marinette…

"Marinette," he blurted. "Her name is Marinette." He stared at his lady lovingly. She had _kissed_ him!

Ladybug gasped. The scowl fell right off her lovely face, and she looked like Adrien had slapped her with a dead fish. Then she swallowed, trying to regain her composure. "V-very well. I'll tell my friend." She straightened and drew her yo-yo. Adrien's eyes followed her hand and rested on her slender waist. Ladybug noticed and flushed pink. "Goodnight, Adrien." She swung out the window, and Adrien flopped back onto his bed, a lovesick smile on his face. Seconds later, a black creature came to a halt in front of his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Plagg hissed. "That wasn't part of the plan!"

Adrien shrugged. "How much harm can it do? I doubt Ladybug even knows Marinette."

"But you don't like Marinette," Plagg insisted. "You lied, and that's going to come back and bite you. It's called karma, Adrien."

He shrugged again. "Karma's been on my side lately, except for the whole Chloe thing. I'm not worried."

Plagg cursed under his breath, and silently prayed that Adrien wouldn't do something to make this worse.

There was a knock on the door, and Adrien's father entered the room. "Adrien?"

Adrien stood to attention. "Yes, Father?"

"Miss Bourgeois has booked a fitting appointment for you and herself on Tuesday. I understand that this will clash with your fencing, so I expect you to work twice as hard at your next lesson to make up."

"What is the fitting for, Father?" Adrien asked. He was still feeling lightheaded after his brief talk with Ladybug.

Gabriel looked at him sternly. "Where is your head, Adrien? You and Miss Bourgeois are to be fitted for your outfits for this upcoming dance. Of course, we already have your measurements, but we need to make sure that your suit will compliment whatever gown Miss Bourgeois chooses. I will not have my son clashing with his...date."

Adrien blinked, then sighed. He didn't feel dizzy anymore, like his father's statement was a bucket of cold water that had been tossed over him, effectively waking him up. "Father, about Chloe…"

"Speak, Adrien."

"Must I go to the dance with her, Father?"

Gabriel stared at him. "Of course you must, Adrien. Miss Bourgeois is a suitable partner. And from what she has told me, I thought you would be delighted to go with her."

"And why would you think that?"

Gabriel looked slightly surprised. "Miss Bourgeois informed me that you two were...what did she call it? An item."

Adrien's mouth fell open.

"I assume that means that the two of you are romantically involved. While I am displeased that you did not inform Nathalie or myself of this, I will still allow you to go to the dance with her."

"But, Father, we're not 'romantically involved'! Do I even get a say-"

Gabriel held up his palm, silencing his son. "No buts, Adrien. I am trying to do something kind for you, and this is the way you react? I have half a mind to forbid you from going, but I won't. You _will_ attend this dance with Miss Bourgeois, and you _will_ be present for the fitting on Tuesday. That is final, and I will not hear another word about it."

Adrien opened his mouth to protest, then closed it. "Yes, Father," he said dejectedly.

Gabriel nodded, then turned and swiftly left the room.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette bounced up and down, clutching a throw pillow to her chest and giggling happily. "He likes me, Tikki! He _likes_ me! _He_ likes me! He likes _me_!"

Tikki floated around the excited girl, smiling at her delight, yet inwardly worrying for Marinette. What in the world did Plagg think he was doing? He _knew_ Marinette was Ladybug. And Tikki knew that Adrien didn't like Marinette, or at least not in _that_ way. Tikki could tell these things, and she knew that Adrien was still in love with Ladybug, yet he'd treated her like dirt. Then as Chat Noir, he was as worshipping as ever. Tikki was very, very concerned about how Adrien's next actions would affect Marinette. Right now, she was on cloud nine, about as happy as she could get. But if Adrien hurt her again….well, so far Tikki had prevented an akuma. But it was draining her powers, and if Tikki's powers were weak, then so were Ladybug's. It was possible that Lucky Charm wouldn't work, or her suit would stop protecting her. If Adrien hurt her, he would put Marinette, and subsequently Paris, through pure hell. Hawkmoth would take advantage of Ladybug's weakness…

 _Breath, Tikki,_ the little kwami told herself. If worst came to worst, she would find Plagg, kick the daylight out of him, then make Ladybug and Chat go to Fu's. He would know exactly how to solve this mess, without anyone getting akumatized.

Tikki turned her attention back to Marinette, who had collapsed onto her desk chair and was twirling lightly on it, beaming. She looked up at Tikki, eyes bright and shining. "I'm going to ask him to the dance, Tikki!"

Tikki bit her lip. "Marinette… he said that he's going with Chloe, remember?"

Marinette just laughed. "But he doesn't like Chloe, he likes me! I'm sure he'll say yes." She giggled again.

"Well, if you're going to the dance, then maybe you should start working on your dress," suggested Tikki practically.

Marinette's eyes snapped wide open, and she scrambled to her feet. "Oh my gosh, you're right!" She rushed over to her mannequin and quickly pulled out her design book and sewing kit. A minute later, she was seated in front of her sewing machine, furiously working on her gown's skirt, mouthful of pins, and fingers busily darting all over the place.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette had been over the moon all weekend and had spent all of Sunday and most of Sunday night working on her dress. Tikki expected her to be slow getting out of bed on Monday, but in fact, she was quite the opposite. The girl leaped out of bed and quickly began to pick out clothes. "Today's the day, Tikki!" she cried. "I'm going to ask him to the dance."

Tikki frowned. "Be careful, Marinette," she warned. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

Marinette tittered. "You worry too much, Tikki! He likes me, it'll be fine."

Tikki wanted to tell her chosen the truth; that Adrien wasn't actually in love with her. But that was against the rules. Tikki wouldn't break the rules unless it was an emergency, and this didn't qualify.

"You fell back in love with Adrien awfully quickly," she commented instead.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Silly Tikki! I didn't hate Adrien. I was just being ridiculous. I'll _always_ be in love with Adrien!"

Tikki had wanted Marinette to be honest with herself, but not like this. The girl was drunk, she realized. Drunk on euphoria. And when Adrien hurt her, she was going to have a horrible emotional hangover.

 _Please, for Marinette's sake, don't let her get hurt,_ prayed Tikki.

 **Hi! Hope you liked the chapter. As you might know, I usually do my writing at night. But it was messing up my sleep schedule, so I was constantly tired and wasting my day by sleeping. So I'm going to start waking up early to write and going to sleep at a normal time. This will mean that I will probably update at around 6:30 (my time) which, for the majority of my readers, who are North American, I will be updating at around four o'clock in the afternoon (I think). Just to let you know!**

 **Thanks for the reviews, favourites, follows, and reads!**

 **~Miss Eucalypt Writes.**


	22. Chapter 22

Marinette pulled on a grey sweater dress, embroidered with her favourite pink lotuses, and pink ballet flats. She let her hair out, and after much consideration applied a tiny bit of makeup. Yes, Adrien preferred natural, but she wanted to look pretty!

As if she'd read Marinette mind, Tikki jetted over, frowning. "You don't need makeup, Marinette. You have a beautiful face without piling on all that stuff." She cast a scornful look at the tubes and palettes in front of Marinette.

Marinette just rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Tikki. Adrien won't even notice it!" She staggered away, picking up her bag and heading downstairs, where she kissed her parents goodbye and rushed off to school.

As Tikki bounced in time with Marinette's steps inside her purse, she continued to worry about Marinette. She didn't want her to do anything rash, or anything that she might regret later on. Hopefully, Alya would look after her. If not… well, Tikki would step in.

Marinette skidded to a halt in front of Alya, who was waiting for her. "Hey, Alya!" she chirped.

Alya smiled at her friend, hugging her. "Hey, girl. How was your thing with Adrien? I would've called you, but our Wi-Fi dropped out, so I couldn't even update the Ladyblog! It was so embarrassing!"

Marinette stepped back from Alya's embrace and laughed. "Oh, it went fine. Turns out you were right, and Chloe kissed Adrien, not the other way around!"

Alya whooped. "That's great, girl! Anything else?"

"Yep," said Marinette with a nod. "I'm going to ask him to the dance!"

Alya high-fived her. "Slay, girl! Good on you! But… wasn't he going with Chloe?"

Marinette giggled. "He said his father forced him into having Chloe as a partner, but Adrien said he doesn't want to go with her! So I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to go with someone else!"

The pair began to walk inside. "You seem oddly confident about this, M," remarked Alya. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course! Silly Alya." Marinette smiled and mussed up Alya's hair, then skipped ahead, leaving Alya open-mouthed and messy-haired.

"Weird," she muttered to herself, as she patted her hair back into place. "Very, very weird."

MLBMLBMLB

If Alya had thought Marinette's behaviour was off before, now she was convinced of it. The girl had acted strangely all day, almost like she was intoxicated. Marinette had stumbled around, beaming and giggling constantly. Alya did her best to keep her away from Adrien, just in case her weird behaviour scared him off. At lunch, Alya had taken her somewhere private and bluntly asked if she had been drinking. Predictably, Marinette had giggled, shook her head, and said, "Silly Alya, of course I haven't been drinking! I'm underage." Then she'd messed up Alya's hair- _again_. Alya was getting a little sick of Marinette acting like this, but she was mostly concerned. Fortunately, it was the end of the day, and soon Marinette would be safe at home with her parents. They would know what to do with their daughter.

The two girls were standing out the front of the school, chatting.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir haven't replied yet. I really, really wish they would come. I bet no other school in Paris has superheroes at their Valentine's Dance," Alya was saying.

Marinette shrugged. "Well, it _is_ Valentine's. Maybe they have other things to do. You know that they have a life apart from being superheroes."

Alya sighed. "Yeah, I guess. Speaking of the dance, when were you planning on asking Adrien?" she asked curiously.

Marinette laughed. "Right now. Wish me luck!" She spun on her heel and strode over to the blonde model, who was standing alone, checking his phone as he waited to be picked up.

Marinette took a deep breath and steeled herself for the task ahead. She stepped closer to Adrien and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Adrien?"

He spun, saw her, then smiled and slipped his phone into his pocket. "Hey, Marinette. What's up?"

She smiled up at him. "Oh, nothing much."

His eyes slid over her outfit. "That's a cool dress, Marinette," he commented. "Did you make it?" Adrien wasn't his father, but he'd spent enough time at fashion shows to know that it would take some serious skill to make what Marinette was wearing.

She nodded. "Yeah, I did."

He looked impressed. "Wow. What other projects are you working on at the minute?"

Marinette lowered her eyelashes. "Well, I'm sewing my dress for the Valentine's Dance," she said quietly.

Adrien's eyebrows shot up. "Really? You must be very talented, M."

She flushed, both at the compliment and the fact that Adrien had used her nickname. "Thanks, but it's not done yet," she laughed.

He smiled at her warmly. "I'm sure it'll be amazing." Adrien paused. "So, you're going to the dance? Who's your partner?" he asked curiously.

Marinette looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and hopeful. "Well, actually, that's why I came over here," she said, shuffling her feet. "Do you, um...do you want to go to the dance with me?"

Adrien felt his stomach drop. "Oh.. I'm really sorry, Marinette. I..well, I don't want to-"

"Oh, that's fine," said Marinette, her voice strangely high-pitched.

Adrien was worried. "No, Marinette, it's not yo-"

"I understand!" Her voice was still too high, and her smile too bright, to put Adrien at ease. "It doesn't matter, really! Have a nice evening!" She gave that unsettling smile again, turned around, and returned to Alya.

Marinette kept her back to Adrien, determinedly not looking at him. "Is he still there?" she whispered to Alya, who looked over Marinette shoulder.

"Yep," replied Alya. "What happened, what did he say?"

"Not now," Marinette hissed. "When he leaves." She spun around, beamed at Adrien and gave him a wave, then turned around again, hoping that would encourage the concerned boy to leave.

Alya looked again and saw Adrien climbing into his sleek car. She waited until it had gone around the corner and was out of sight before giving Marinette the all clear.

As soon as Alya had whispered that Adrien was gone, Marinette threw her arms around the blogger's shoulders and buried her face into the girl's flannel shirt. A surprised Alya had comforted her, whispering kind words as her best friend let out her tears. Had Adrien still been around, she would have marched over to him and given him a good kick in the shins- Nino's best friend or not. He'd hurt Marinette, and there was no _way_ in hell that Alya was going to let him get away with it.

As Alya fumed and Marinette cried, Tikki shivered in the bluenette's purse, her powers steadily draining away.

MLBMLBMLB

Before, Marinette had known that her heart was broken.

Now she didn't even know how to describe it.

It was like millions of pieces of shattered glass, impossible to put back together, sharp and painful to touch. That was as close as she could get, and that barely covered half of it.

Tikki hadn't spoken, but Marinette hardly noticed. Alya had walked her home, seen her safely inside, made sure she was okay. Marinette had wiped away her tears, thanked Alya, and assured the girl that she would be fine. Alya had left, still worried but aware that she had an important doctor's appointment that afternoon, and her mother would be beside herself if ALya was late.

Once Marinette heard the door click shut, she'd broken down again, her sobs causing the sofa to tremble and the pillow she was clutching to become soaked in warm, salty tears. Tikki had flown out of her purse so she could be more comfortable, but hadn't talked to her chosen, hadn't offered her usual helpful advice. She'd sat on the bookshelf, rigid and unusually pale, silent and hardly blinking, like she'd been turned to marble.

After five minutes of weeping, Marinette sat up on the sofa, holding a pillow tightly to her chest, the way a young child might hold a teddy bear. Tikki still hadn't moved, and Marinette had no idea where she was. She needed her kwami for love, advice, and comfort. Without Tikki, she didn't know how to cope.

The bluenette quickly searched her purse but came up empty-handed. Fearing for her kwami's safety, she cried out. "Tikki!"

A small movement caught Marinette's eye, and she turned towards it, breaking out into a tear-stained smile when she saw the little red creature. "Tikki!" She staggered to her feet and lurched unsteadily towards her.

Her smile dropped as she got closer and saw how pale and still the kwami was. In trembling hands, Marinette scooped up her little friend, and brought her to her chest, cradling her.

Tikki barely reacted to the touch of her chosen. The kwami's eyes fluttered, but nothing else. Marinette grew very, very concerned, shoving her pain aside, and filling the space with worry for her kwami. "Oh, no, no." Dropping her cushion, Marinette ran for the kitchen and began to search frantically for a choc-chip cookie, pressing Tikki close to her. At last, Marinette found what she wanted and offered her kwami the treat, eyes wide and fearful.

To her immense joy, Tikki opened her eyes and reached for the biscuit. Marinette was shocked by how faded the colour of Tikki's eyes was. It was almost like something was leeching her brightness out of her.

Marinette let the kwami eat her cookie with painstakingly slow bites. When the last mouthful had disappeared, Marinette pressed a kiss to her kwami's cold forehead. "Tikki! You're okay!"

The kwami shook her head, the movement to tiny that Marinette almost didn't see it. "Marinette…" she croaked. "I'm..not...okay. I-I.."

"Hold on, Tikki. I'm going to take you to Master Fu," said Marinette soothingly. She grabbed her purse from the living room, placed another cookie and some tissues for comfort inside, and rushed out the door, running as quickly as she could to Master Fu's.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette waited breathlessly, leaning against the wall for support. She'd crashed into Master Fu's room, screaming his name. He'd dropped a teacup and rushed over to her. Marinette had held out Tikki, babbling incoherently. Master Fu had taken one look at the pale kwami and ordered Marinette to wait outside, which she was now doing. It was agonizing, not knowing what was going on, not knowing if Tikki was going to be okay. The distraught superheroine put her hands to her face and was surprised when they came away streaked with something black. Marinette pulled her phone out of her purse and checked her reflection in the camera app. With a groan, she put her phone away. No wonder she'd gotten some odd looks as she'd been coming here. Her crying had caused the makeup she'd applied this morning to smear all over her face, so she now looked like an extra from a cheap horror film. But her frightening appearance didn't matter now. The only thing Marinette cared about was her kwami's wellbeing.

Because Tikki wasn't _just_ a kwami to her. She was so much more. One of Marinette's best friends, someone who gave great advice and was always there for her. It wasn't just that act that if she lost Tikki, she would lose Ladybug. It was the fact that if she lost Tikki, she would lose one of her best friends.

Marinette slumped down onto the floor, hugging her knees as trying to breathe deeply as the realization struck her; that one of her best friends was possibly dying. Never before had Marinette felt so utterly helpless. She knew nothing about magic healing, or even what was the matter with her friend. There was nothing she could do for Tikki, and it hurt.

Just when Marinette thought that her day had hit rock-bottom, the universe decided to prove her wrong. There was an enormous crash from outside, and screams began to swirl.

Using some _very_ colourful vocabulary that would have earned her a grounding from her parents, Marinette hurled open the door and peered outside. Bright red _things_ were flying everywhere, crashing into buildings, trees, cars, and sometimes even people. They seemed to be coming from something a few blocks away, hidden by tall buildings. It was absolute chaos, people screaming and running for their lives as the red things continued to rain down.

Marinette gave the wall a furious kick and ignored the pain in her throbbing foot.

 _What the hell was she meant to do?_

 **Hi! Sorry for the little cliffhanger...but not really, because I love to be annoying. Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chat Noir dodged another red thing. He was pretty sure that they were words but had no idea why the akuma was rapid-firing _words_ around Paris. Maybe they'd missed the word count requirement in an essay?

He scanned the scene with his glowing eyes, leaning on his staff and frowning. Akuma? Check. Screaming civilians? Check. Ladybug? Uh-uh. There was no red-suited girl darting around the akuma. Where was she?

Chat quickly brought his staff to his face, deftly turning it into a mobile phone and punching in Ladybug's number. One ring, two rings, three, four, five, six….

On the seventh ring, Chat Noir hung up. She wasn't going to pick up, and there were civilians in need. Despite what some people said, Chat Noir _was_ capable of fighting most akumas without Ladybug, and vice-versa. The only problem was that Chat couldn't actually purify the akuma, and after Stoneheart, he wasn't about to let one escape again.

Twirling his staff, the leather-suited boy jumped off his perch and landed on the street, facing the akuma and crouching. "Hey! Over here!" he yelled, attempting to get the akuma's attention.

It turned to him. Seven meters tall, dressed entirely in black, with red words shifting across the fabric. Seemingly female, though Chat couldn't be sure. The villain raised its hands, which began to glow red, probably about to fire more words at him.

"Chat Noir," growled the akuma. "Give me your miraculous!" It pushed its left hand forward, and a bright red word shot past him, reading _ugly_.

"Hey!" cried Chat Noir. "I'll have you know that I'm also a model!"

The akuma fired again, and Chat deflected the word with his staff, rolling away. He spotted Alya, dressed in her familiar flannel, hiding partially behind a flipped car, and recording the whole thing. At the top of his lungs, Chat yelled, "Ladybug, a bit of help?"

He narrowly avoided another word, _stupid._ Glaring at the akuma, he tried to think of what he needed to do. Oh, right. Find the akumatised object. Scanning up and down the villain, he wished his partner was here. She was better at the finding-the-akuma thing than he was.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette tried to breathe deeply and calmly, and was doing pretty well until a massive explosion rocked the entire building, causing Marinette's eyes to snap open, wide and panicked. Unable to stand back any longer, she pounded on Master Fu's door. This was one of the worst situations she'd ever been in, and she was _freaking out_.

Master Fu's soft voice called from inside. "Enter quietly, please."

Marinette scoffed. There'd just been a huge explosion, and he wanted her to _enter quietly_?

She tiptoed in, gently closing the door and trying to block out the creams from outside. They weren't helping her anxiety very much. Fu was kneeling on a mat beside Tikki, who lay on a pillow, as pale as ever. Marinette saw her tiny chest rising and falling and heaved a huge sigh of relief. Tikki was alive, at least.

Master Fu motioned for her to kneel opposite him. She obeyed, and clenched her fists in her lap, trembling with fear. "Master Fu, there's an akuma," she blurted, trying to keep her voice soft. "I've got to get out there and help!"

The man held up his hand, signalling for quiet. Marinette closed her mouth and waited.

"Your kwami is very unwell," he began. "It would not be good for her to go into battle in this state."

"Master, I'm the only one who can purify the akuma. Surely there's a way-"

He silenced her again. "Of course there is a way, Marinette. There is no problem that cannot be solved. I have given Tikki as much healing as I can. No, it would not be good for her to go out and fight. What she needs is rest. But… as long as you don't overuse your powers, and are very, very careful, I see no reason why you cannot transform. "

Marinette nodded gratefully. "Thank you very much. I promise to be careful."

"Actions speak louder than words, Marinette. See that you are."

The bluenette gazed down at her pale, seemingly lifeless kwami. She didn't see how it was possible for Tikki to transform, but she had to trust Master Fu's judgement. "Master Fu," she began hesitantly, "why is Tikki like this?"

Master Fu shook his head. "That is something I do not have time to explain to you now. Once you have purified the akuma, quickly detransform and come here as Marinette immediately. Tikki will need urgent attention. Now go, and remember your promise."

Marinette hesitated, then nodded fiercely and scooped up Tikki. "Tikki, spots on!"

The whirlwind of light and colour faded away, and Ladybug stood in Marinette place. The superheroine rushed out the door, her limbs feeling strangely heavy.

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir was having no luck finding the akumatized object. The attacks were coming in thick and fast, giving him only moments to search before he was fired at again. In an attempt to take a quick breather, he rolled behind an upturned car, chest heaving.

Suddenly there was a smartphone in his face. Blinking, he turned towards it. Oh, right. He must have hidden behind the same car as Alya. Great.

"Chat Noir!" said the blogger excitedly. "Where's Ladybug?"

Chat held up his hand. "Miss, you've got to leave. It isn't safe here for you."

Alya shrugged. "I'll be fine. The akuma hasn't seen me yet, right?"

The superhero shook his head. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean it won't find you soon. I understand you have a blog and all, but your safety needs to come first."

"Oh!" At the mention of her blog, the girl's eyes lit up. "Chat Noir, are you and Ladybug planning to attend the dance? Did you read the message on the Ladybl- AHHHHHH!"

A scarlet word slammed into their car, throwing the two backward. Chat scooped up Alya and sprinted away, carrying her bridal-style. Alya yelled frantically as more words peppered the ground around Chat's feet until he ducked behind a building and set her down in an alleyway.

"Stay here," commanded Chat. "You'll be safe."

Alya's face fell, but her phone stayed upright, continuing to record. "Fine. Can we talk after the fight, then?"

Chat's staff began to beep and light up. He slipped it into phone mode and answered immediately. His lady's face filled the screen, and Chat's heart filled with joy. "Ladybug!" he cried, aware that they had an audience, who was eagerly filming their exchange.

"Hi, Chat," she replied. "Listen, we have an emergency on our hands. Do you know where the akuma is?"

"Uh, no," admitted Chat.

Ladybug sighed. "Well, that's just great. Where are you?"

Chat showed her the alleyway. "Some alley, not too far from the akuma."

Ladybug frowned and squinted. "Is that _Alya_?"

The blogger waved excitedly at her idol. "Sure is! Hi, Ladybug!"

The superheroine shook her head, clearly confused. "Okay then….I'll meet you there in two." She hung up the phone.

Chat leant back against the wall, staring into the clouds above, until a gentle thump told him that Ladybug had arrived. His eyes snapped open, and he beamed at her. "Buga- Ladybug!" He had remembered that Alya was filming, and didn't want his pet name for Ladybug broadcasted to the entire city.

"Hi, Chat," she replied. "Look, I'm sorry for being late, but...there's some _stuff_ going on."

"No problem."

Ladybug's eyes fell on Alya, and she gave a tight smile. "Hey, Alya."

Alya grinned back. "Hey!"

Ladybug turned back to Chat. "Where's the akuma?", she asked, now completely business.

Chat tilted his head towards the villain's location. "Over there. What's the plan, m'lady?"

Ladybug bit her lip, then glanced at Alya. "Can I talk to you?" she asked Chat quietly.

He nodded, concern flickering in his eyes, and let Ladybug pull him aside. "Is everything alright, Bugaboo?" he whispered.

She shrugged, and Chat noticed that she looked kind of pale beneath her mask. "Like I said, there's stuff. I promise I'll tell you later, but right now, we need to take down this akuma." She paused and took a deep breath. "The thing is….well, I hate to do this to you, but I'm not really meant to go into combat."

Questions started popping up in Chat's mind, and he was desperate to ask each and every one of them. But not now. He'd do it later, while Ladybug was explaining the _stuff_ to him.

She continued quickly, probably sensing that he wanted to interrupt. "I really, really don't like the plan, but here's what I'm thinking. We check out the akuma, find the object, I get my Lucky Charm, work out what to do with it, then get you to use it. I would do it myself, but like I said, well, I can't, really."

Chat took her hands in his and smiled at her. "Don't stress, Bugaboo. I'm fine with that, and besides, I trust that you have a good reason. Ready to pound this akuma?"

She nodded, smiling weakly. "Ready."

The duo walked back to Alya. "Alya, I know you want to film this," began Ladybug, and the blogger's face fell slightly, anticipating bad news, "but it's not safe. We can't let you do it. If you insist on filming, go into a building and do it from the window. I understand that it isn't ideal, but we won't let you put yourself at risk. All right?"

Alya nodded. "No problem."

Ladybug relaxed slightly. "Great." She turned to Chat Noir. "Ready, partner?"

"Sure am." The two superheroes ran out of the alley, leaving Alya alone. Chat guided Ladybug towards the akuma, which wasn't really necessary, as the could have just gone towards the explosions. They crouched on a rooftop, the akuma in their sights. Ladybug surveyed the scene, and judging by the lack of civilians, it was only a matter of time before the akuma realised they were there.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir!" bellowed the akuma, raising its hands, which began to glow red. "Give me your miraculous!"

"Never heard _that_ one before," muttered Chat, causing Ladybug to crack a smile.

"Who are you?" she shouted.

The akuma glared at her. "I am Scarlet Letter! Taker of your earrings, Ladybug, and your ring, Chat Noir!"

Chat cocked his head and frowned at Ladybug. "Wasn't that a book or something?"

She nodded silently, thinking hard. "Where's the akuma?" she asked Chat urgently.

Chat put his hand on the back of his neck. "Ah, well, I don't really know," he said sheepishly, causing Ladybug to make a frustrated noise- almost like a growl.

"Of course not," she muttered, then began to study the akuma. The constantly moving red words made it difficult for her to pick out anything unusual on the suit. Her eyes drifted upwards.

"The mask," she murmured to herself.

Chat frowned at her. "Uh, what?"

"I said, the mask." Ladybugs eyes suddenly widened, and she shoved Chat hard. "Look out!"

Scarlet Letter had apparently gotten tired of waiting and had fired a word at them. Ladybug just had time to read it before it flashed past- _stupid._

"Hey!" cried Chat Noir in an offended tone. "Enough with the insults!"

Scarlet Letter laughed. "Oh, insults aren't so bad. You get used to them, but obviously, you haven't been exposed to them the way I have."

"She's been bullied," said Ladybug quietly. "The words she's throwing; it's stuff she's been called."

"Oh. Right." Chat Noir eyed the akuma warily. "Let's get cracking-"

All of a sudden, Ladybug earrings began to beep. She put a gloved hand on the side of her head and groaned, muttering something under her breath.

"But you haven't even used your power!" cried Chat. "How is tha-"

Ladybug shook her head at him, then hurled her yo-yo up. "Lucky Charm!" she yelled.

A massive roll of duct tape landed in Ladybug's hands. She stared at it for a moment, then scanned the scene again. A slow smile crept across her face.

"Chat, I don't like asking you….but could you distract her for a moment?"

Chat Noir grinned and nodded at her. "Anything for you, my lady." He bowed low and kissed her hand, then jumped down to street level. "Hey!" he called up at the akuma. "Over here!"

Scarlet Letter snarled and began firing at him, completely forgetting about Ladybug, which was exactly what the polka-dotted heroine wanted. She ran lightly over to an alley and wound the end of the tape around a nearby chimney. Still holding the roll of tape, she jumped over the alley and wrapped the rest of the tape securely around someone's television antenna.

Chat looked around for Ladybug as he dodged the akuma's blasts, and spotted her (pun not intended) standing on the edge of a building. She was waving at him and motioning towards the tape, which was strung across an alleyway. She pointed at her mask, then at Scarlet Letter, then mimed running into something. All of a sudden, Chat understood, and he grinned.

He shouted up at Scarlet Letter. "Bet you can't get me!" The leather-suited boy ran into the alleyway, and to his delight the akuma followed, growling.

She was so focused on Chat that she didn't notice the length of wide tape stretched across her path and ran straight into. Scarlet Letter fell back, snarling, unaware that her mask had stuck to the tape and was now suspended several meters above her, easy for Ladybug to reach. She tore the inky mask apart, and purified the little black butterfly that came fluttering out of it. Chat jumped up to watch her.

"Bye-bye, little butterfly," said Ladybug. "Miraculous Ladybug!" As soon as the pink light had stopped rushing around, repairing the damage Scarlet Letter had caused, Ladybug turned to Chat and smiled at him. "Bye-bye," she muttered dreamily, before collapsing into his arms.

 **Sorry, another cliffhanger! I know this chapter took a while to get to you, but I have a habit of hitting the 'snooze' button on my alarm. I wanted to get this up this morning, about six hours ago, but I had to stop typing and run to catch the bus. No, Australians** _ **don't**_ **ride kangaroos to school, despite what some people may think. Anyway, I'll try to be more consistent in my posting. Bye!**


	24. Chapter 24

Turned out Fu was right. Damn it. She'd waited too long, spent too much time as Ladybug. She'd felt so strange as she purified that akuma, like she was in a dream. The world around her had seemed fluid, everything moving and shifting. Even Chat's concerned face had become distorted in her hazy vision. She'd just managed to smile at him before slipping away to who-knows-where.

MLBMLBMLB

Chat felt his Lady's sudden warm weight in his arms as she collapsed onto him. He managed to catch her before she tumbled off the building. He stared at her. Her eyes were closed, face somehow both pale and flushed at the same time. There was a peaceful smile on her rosebud lips, like she'd simply fallen asleep and was experiencing a pleasant dream. However, Chat knew that this was something more serious than just a snooze.

"Ladybug?" he said urgently, sitting down and arranging her so that her head was resting comfortably on his lap. "Ladybug, wake up!" Chat Noir began to squeeze her hands, but there was no response. He pinched her arm lightly, then slightly harder. Still nothing.

There was a groan from the street, and Chat saw a chocolate-haired teenager kneeling at the mouth of the alleyway. She must have been akumatised into Scarlet Letter. Normally, Chat and Ladybug would be with her, reassuring her and filling her in on what had happened, as akuma victims tended to forget everything they'd done under Hawkmoth's control. But this wasn't a _normal_ situation. Ladybug was unconscious in his lap, and Chat had no idea why. The girl below him would just have to wait.

Ladybug's earrings beeped again. Four minutes.

Chat cursed and looked around, desperate for help. But there was no one.

Then a flash of movement caught his eye. Someone was crouching beside the akuma victim, their hand on the girl's shoulder, speaking to them gently. Chat's spirits lifted a little as he recognised the person.

"Alya!" he shouted. "Up here!"

The flannel-wearing blogger glanced up at him, then said something to the girl, who nodded gratefully and began to walk away, pulling out her phone as she went. Alya made sure she was gone, then turned her attention back to Chat.

"I can't help you if you're up there!" she yelled. Chat nodded, stood, and tried to pull Ladybug up. She went floppy on him, on real fear began to pool inside Chat.

He managed to cradle her in his arms and land gently in front of Alya, who gasped and put her hand to her mouth, rushing over. "What's wrong with her?" she cried, lifting one of Ladybug's limp arms. "Is she- is she _breathing_?"

Chat immediately glanced down, and put his hand on her chest. He felt it rising and falling, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, she's breathing, thank God. But I have no idea what to do with her."

There was a sudden sharp voice in Chat's head, which he recognised as Plagg's. _Adrien! Take her to Master Fu's! She needs urgent attention!_

"Should I get an ambulance?" asked Alya, about to dial.

Chat shook her head. "No. My kwami's telling me that I have to take her somewhere. I need to go, right now. Thanks for your help, Alya." Chat stood, Ladybug in his arms. "Goodbye." Without any more hesitation, he began to run, following the directions Plagg gave him and hoping with all his heart that Ladybug would pull through.

MLBMLBMLB

Master Fu was expecting Marinette to burst through the door any moment now, with Tikki in tow. He'd prepared more medicines for the kwami, and was ready to administer them at a moment's notice.

What he was _not_ expecting, however, was for a fully transformed Chat Noir to burst through his door, Ladybug in his arms. The blonde superhero crashed in, and looked at Master Fu with wild eyes.

"Sir, Plagg told me to come here. It's Ladybug, she collapsed after doing the healing spell and I don't know what to do," he said.

Master Fu blinked, then leaped into action (figuratively, of course. With his back the way it was, there was no way he was leaping anywhere). "Put her on the mat," he ordered, pointing. "Now leave."

Chat blinked in surprise. "Uh, what?"

"She is about to detransform," explained Fu, as Ladybug's earrings gave their final warning _beep_. "You cannot see her."

Understanding, Chat scrambled out the door and shut it quickly, breathing heavily. He heard a whooshing noise from inside, and pink light flashed from under the door. Ladybug must have dropped her transformation, he realised.

Chat felt a tingle of excitement as he became conscious of the fact that Ladybug was inside, _without her mask_. All it would take was one little peek…..

But he wouldn't do that to his Lady. Not without her permission. One of the things his mother always told him was to respect a person's boundaries. Ladybug had drawn a firm line, and he wasn't going to cross it- at least, not yet.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette groaned and opened her eyes as something bitter trickled into her mouth. Resisting the urge to spit out the liquid and spray anything that was in front of her, she sat up. Master Fu crouched beside her, a spoon and a cup in his hands. Marinette gulped down the unpleasant liquid. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked frantically for Tikki.

"Master Fu!" she cried. "What happened? Where's Tikki? Is she okay?"

The old man raised a finger to his lips. "Hush, Ladybug," he whispered. "Tikki is resting, and she is fine, for now. I do not know what truly happened, but there is someone just outside who does. Perhaps you can speak to him."

Marinette tilted her head, thinking. Then she went pale, and gulped. "Ch-chat Noir is outside this room, isn't he?" she asked shakily.

Master Fu nodded, smiling.

"I can't talk to him!" said Marinette wildly. "I need to be transformed, and Tikki...oh, god."

Master Fu shook his head. "If you want a detailed account of what happened, then your partner is probably the best person to tell you. And yes, you _can_ talk to him. Through the door. He won't see you. You won't see him." Fu retrieved a teacup from a table and sipped, smiling slightly. "Do not let fear cloud your mind, Ladybug."

Marinette nodded, then got to her feet, walking unsteadily to the door and placing her shaking hand on the handle, to prevent it from opening. Putting her face close the the screen, Marinette called out, "Chat Noir?"

On the other side, Chat scrambled closer. "My lady! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Chat," replied Marinette. It felt very weird to hear him call her 'my lady' when she wasn't transformed. "I can't open the door, though. I'm not transformed."

Silence from the other end, except for his breathing. "You-you're _not_?" he said at last.

Marinette shook her head, then remembered that he couldn't see her. "No. So whatever you do, don't open the door!" She tried to make her voice light and joking, but it came out rather shrill. When Chat didn't respond, Marinette asked her question. "What happened to me, kitty?"

"Well, you purified the akuma, and did your healing spell," said Chat slowly. "Then you looked at me and go,"Bye-bye" in this really weird voice. And then you just collapsed into me. I got Alya to help, and we checked that you were breathing and stuff. Alya was gonna call the ambulance, but then my kwami told me to take you here." He lowered his voice slightly, though marinette had no idea why. "We were so worried, Ladybug. You just went floppy."

Marinette took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Chat. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. You're safe now." He paused. "Why _did_ you collapse?"

Marinette sighed. "My kwami's been really tired. I was meant to finish off the akuma as quickly as possible, and try not to engage in combat. That was why I asked you to do all the dirty work. Sorry."

"Why's your kwami tired?" he asked curiously.

"I don't really know," replied Marinette.

Chat thought for a moment, humming. "Patrol tonight?"

It was a Monday, and Marinette was tired. After all the emotions of the day, she just needed to rest. "Sorry, Chat," she said. "I think I'll stay in tonight, if that's alright."

"Of course," he replied. "I'll be going then." A pause. "Take care, my lady."

Marinette smiled to herself. "I will, kitty. Thanks for everything."

He didn't respond, but Marinette heard the creaking of a door, and knew he had gone. She heaved a sigh, and turned back to Master Fu. "What's wrong with Tikki, Master Fu?" she asked bluntly, determined to get an answer from the healer.

Much to her disappointment, Fu shrugged. "At this stage, I cannot say," he replied. "Come back tomorrow and perhaps I can tell you."

Marinette nodded wordlessly, and looked at her kwami, lying still on the pillow. Colour was slowly trickling back into Tikki, and she looked less delicate. That, at least, was some good news.

"If I take her home, what can I do for her?"

Master Fu slowly stood, and limped over to Marinette. He looked her dead in the eye. "Marinette, I will not know the full details until Tikki is well again. But I can tell that you are immensely sad and hurt. Marinette, promise me that whatever happens, you _will not succumb to Hawkmoth_. Do whatever it takes to fight him. That is all I can offer you." He stepped back, looked briefly at Tikki, then back at Marinette. "Unfortunately, you cannot take Tikki home. If she is to truly recover, she needs three things; rest, medicine, and your emotional wellbeing. I know it may be difficult, but try to ignore your sadness and stay positive. Do you understand?"

Marinette chewed on her lip. She and Tikki were almost inseparable. Since the day Marinette had gotten her miraculous, there had only been a handful of times when they were apart. But if Tikki's health was at stake, Marinette would do anything. She would _not_ lose her friend. "I understand. Thank you, Master."

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien hadn't detransformed after he left Fu's. He stayed in his suit, travelling over the rooftops with no clear destination in mind. He had hoped that the night sky stretching out about him and the city sprawling around him would clear his head, but unfortunately, he'd been wrong.

Eventually, the blonde superhero stopped, his back resting against a random chimney. Gazing up at the sky, he felt a strange sense of hopelessness overcome him. Would his plan ever truly work?

Maybe he just needed some advice. But from who? Nino didn't know about his crush on Ladybug. Alya would probably post it on the Ladyblog. Well, no, she wouldn't but she'd make a big deal out of it. Chloe would just be furious that Adrien liked another girl, besides her. She'd probably try to kill Ladybug, which was the _last_ thing Adrien wanted. Marinette….she gave good advice. She was a good listener, and would probably know how to handle the situation. If Adrien was to talk to anyone (besides Plagg, of course), Marinette was probably his best option.

There was a problem, though. After the events of this afternoon, Chat Noir highly doubted that Marinette would even want to speak to Adrien. Sure, she'd _acted_ like she was fine, but even Adrien, with his terrible people skills, could tell that she wasn't okay with it. He'd probably hurt her quite badly. Unless he talked to Marinette as Chat Noir…

Chat began to smile. Yeah, he would do that. He would visit Marinette as his superhero self, and request some advice. He was sure she would help him. He and Marinette were on good terms, and she was one of the kindest people he'd ever met.

Chat Noir stood and stretched out, yawning. Better make this visit snappy, as it was a school night, and he had a maths test tomorrow.

 **Hi guys! Hope you liked the chapter.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chat Noir crouched on the school roof, gazing at the top of the boulangerie. He'd been hoping that Marinette would be on her balcony, as that would make it easier to approach her. But the rooftop was empty.

However, there was a glow from one of the top windows. It was curtained, and Chat couldn't see inside, but if there was a light on, there was probably someone inside. But if that person wasn't Marinette and Chat knocked on the window, awkward questions could be asked.

But it was getting late, and Chat was tired. He wanted to talk to someone now, not tomorrow.

The masked boy sprang off the school and onto Marinette balcony, his face washed in the pink glow of her fairy lights. A large rosebush made the cool air fragrant as he reached down and knocked on her trapdoor. "Marinette?"

There was a crash and a squeal from inside, and Chat smirked to himself, knowing of the girl's legendary clumsiness.

"Who's there?" Marinette called warily. She seemed to be very close to the trapdoor.

"It's just me," called Chat, then realized that he hadn't actually specified _who_ he was. "I mean, it's Chat Noir."

After a moment, the trapdoor opened, and Marinette poked her head through, looking up at him. She stared for a moment, then hauled herself up onto the balcony. Straightening up, she turned to him and frowned. "What in the world are you doing here?"

Chat thought over his answer from some time before replying. "I need advice, and you're pretty much the only person I can ask."

Marinette raised her eyebrows. "Why not Ladybug?"

Chat sighed. "Because she'd probably hit me. It's about her."

Marinette flinched, but Chat didn't notice. "What's the matter with Ladybug?"

The superhero walked over the railing and stared out over the city. "It's, well, it's nothing, really," he began. "She's been really sad lately, and I've been trying to cheer her up. But she passed out this afternoon, and her kwami isn't well."

"What's a kwami?"

"It's this magical creature that gives Ladybug and me our powers. I'm just worried about her. It's hard to reach out because of the whole identities thing, but I want to help her."

"Talk to her," suggested Marinette. "Surely you can do that without revealing your identities."

Chat's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I guess."

Marinette put her hand on his shoulder. "Sorry if that wasn't good advice," she said quietly. "But I know nothing about being a superhero."

Chat shrugged, and her hand moved with the motion. "It's fine," he said. "I'd better be going."

"Goodbye, kitty."

Chat smiled at her, then sprang off her balcony, melting into the shadows. Marinette stayed outside for a moment, pondering, before climbing back into her room.

MLBMLBMLB

The next morning was surreal. Marinette opened her eyes and stretched, waiting. It took her maybe a minute to remember that Tikki wasn't going to zoom into her vision, greeting her cheerily.

Marinette dragged herself to school. She had no wish to go, not after what Adrien had done. Now, she would have to cope with this on her own, without Tikki. Marinette was tempted to curl up in a corner and cry her eyes out, but she was trying to stay positive for Tikki's sake.

The second Marinette pushed open the classroom door, something flashed in front of her, grabbing her arm and pulling her down the hallway, Marinette struggling to stay upright.

The thing released her, and stood in front of the bluenette with her arms crossed and a furious expression on her face. "Girl!" she cried angrily. "You need to stop going A.W.O.L all the time. I called you five times last night, and you didn't pick up _once._ Where were you?"

Before Marinette could even think up a reply, Alya started talking again, her voice softer. "But, girl, seriously, are you okay?" Her eyes were concerned behind her glasses.

Marinette nodded, and sighed. "I guess I'll live," she said. "Don't worry, Alya."

Alya shook her head. "I _am_ worried, Marinette. You're my best friend. Just promise you'll talk to me, okay? Don't do anything reckless. Now, on a slightly different topic, do you want me to beat up Adrien?"

Marinette spluttered. " _What_?!"

"Beat Adrien up," repeated Alya. "He's not here yet, or I would've done it already. But now that you're here, I have to ask permission. So, yea or nay?"

Marinette shook her head. "Alya, you don't want to get suspended again," she warned.

Alya shrugged. "I wouldn't do it in _school_."

Marinette sighed. "Just leave it for now. Don't physically harm him."

For a moment Alya looked disappointed, before a gleeful smile slid over her face. "Don't _physically_ harm him?" she asked slyly.

Marinette grinned, and slung an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Come on, Alya. Let's get to class."

The two girls pushed open the classroom door. Adrien's eat was till empty, and Nino was at his seat, texting at a furious pace. He looked up as the girls passed and smiled. "Hey, Alya, Marinette."

Marinette gave him a smile, and Alya blew him a kiss, causing Nino to blush and drop his phone, and Marinette to giggle. Taking their seats, Marinette let her eyes wander the classroom. Chloe was speaking loudly to Sabrina, looking around to check if people were noticing her.

"So _anyway_ , I'm sure Gabriel will do a fabulous job. He designed that gown I wore to the Christmas Ball, remember? I looked _stunning_ in that, don't you agree? Even Prince Ali said so!" She flicked a glance at Rose, and smiled evilly. "We're very close, the Prince and I. If it wasn't for Adrien, I'm _sure_ we would be a couple."

The door banged open and Adrien stumbled in, looking more dishevelled than Marinette had ever seen him. He was suffering a from a serious case of bed hair, there was a pillow crease across his face, and deep bags under his eyes. He spilled his belongings onto the desk, puffing.

Marinette quickly turned away, in case he looked up and saw her staring. That would be mortifying.

"Hey, bro," she heard Nino say. "I've been texting you, where've you been?"

"Oh, just traffic and all that. Nothing unusual."

Marinette glanced at Alya, who was staring daggers at Adrien- daggers dripping with poison. Marinette prayed that Adrien wouldn't look up and see Alya's expression.

He didn't, thank the Lord. He was too distracted by Chloe jumping out of her seat and draping herself over his desk, squealing stupid pet names.

"Adrikins!" she cried, pouting. "Where have you been? I was so worried!"

Adrien laughed awkwardly, inching away from her. "I got stuck in traffic, that's all."

Chloe giggled. "Oh, silly me! I just can't bear the thought of spending a day without you," she simpered, fluttering her eyelashes so that it looked like two hyperactive butterflies were clinging to her eyeballs.

Adrien just looked uncomfortable as Nino sniggered beside him. "I'm sure you'd live, Chloe."

She sighed. "I suppose. But _anyways_ , are you all ready for our fitting tonight? Such a shame our Saturday booking was cancelled, but it's fine. I'm sure we'll win the cutest couple award! I mean, of course I'm beautiful." Chloe put her face _very_ close to Adrien's, causing him to flinch. "And you're the hottest boy in Paris."

Adrien's face was the same colour as Nathaniel's hair. He choked and pulled away. "U-uh, thanks C-chlo," he stammered, embarrassed.

She pursed her lips. "Oh, don't worry. I _completely_ understand," she said sweetly.

Adrien looked confused (and red). "You do?"

Chloe gave him a seductive gaze. "Of course, _mon petit chou._ I understand if you'd rather do this in private. Your father wouldn't mind you to my house tonight, would he?"

Forget Nathaniel's hair, Adrien was now the colour of Kim's jumper. He coughed loudly and scrambled out of his seat, muttering something about needing a drink.

Disappointed, Chloe slid back into her own seat, giving Kim a sugar-sweet smile as he gaped at her. Marinette felt sorry for him. Ever since Valentine's Day last year, when Chloe had put that photo of Kim online, the whole class had known about Kim's crush on Chloe. After listening to Adrien's exchange with Kim a little while ago, Marinette could tell that Kim hadn't grown out of his crush yet- despite the fact that Chloe treated him the way she might treat a piece of chewing gum under her desk.

A few moments later, Adrien crept back into the classroom, evidently trying to escape Chloe, who was deep in conversation with Sabrina. Luckily for him, she didn't seem to notice him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Nino snickered beside him.

"Looks like you've got yourself a _girlfriend_ , bro."

Adrien shoved him gently. "Shut up," he muttered, flushing pink.

Nino fluttered his eyelids. "Oh, don't be like that, _mon petit chou_." The DJ cackled loudly.

Adrien glared at him, then whipped around to check that Chloe wasn't listening. "I don't like her, Nino, okay?"

Nino shrugged, still smiling diabolically. "Sure. But didn't you say that you have a crush on some girl who's pretty famous? Chloe would fit that description."

Adrien muttered something that was too low for Marinette to hear. Alya simply made a growling sound, and Marinette got the feeling that Alya was not planning on keeping her 'not beating up Adrien' promise.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette's day had been absolutely horrible. Tikki wasn't there, Adrien _was_ there, and Chloe was practically hanging off Adrien and constantly banging on about some stupid fitting. Marinette wasn't _jealous_ , it was just annoying (and a little gross) to have to watch and listen to Chloe all day. Marinette made a mental note to bring earplugs tomorrow.

At least Alya was honouring her promise, although she was still glaring at Adrien, much to the boy's confusion. He had no idea why Alya was so mad, but he was too exhausted from dealing with Chloe to ask the blogger. He was also kind of scared. He and Alya were friend, but right now she looked like she'd rather sock him in the face than talk to him. He was glad when his car pulled up in front of the school, although Alya was still staring at him in a way that made Adrien glad that looks couldn't kill.

MLBMLBMLB

As soon as she'd greeted her parents and let them know that she was going out again, Marinette was flying out the door, running as hard as she could, occasionally stopping at roads. She was desperate to see Tikki.

Master Fu was meditating as Marinette opened the door. Wayzz was snoring peacefully inside a matchbox on the table, and Tikki was nowhere in sight. Marinette felt panic rise up inside her.

"Ah, Ladybug," said Master Fu without opening his eyes. "I suspected you would be here soon."

"Where's Tikki?" asked Marinette anxiously. "Is she alright?"

Fu put his index finger to his lips. "Calm down. Your kwami is much better, but is not at her full strength yet."

Relief flooded through her. Tikki was better! "Can I see her, please?" asked Marinette.

Fu opened his eyes and got to his feet. "Of course, come with me." He hobbled over to the sideboard with the phonograph on it. He pushed in a code, and a back box with red embellishments rose up, very similar to the one Ladybug's earrings had been in. Master Fu took out the box, and placed it on the mat. He motioned for Marinette to kneel with him, then opened the box.

Curled in the middle, on the black section of the center circle, was Tikki, breathing lightly. Marinette let out a cry of delight, and Master Fu smiled.

"You may pick her up, if you wish," he said gently.

Carefully, Marinette cupped Tikki in her hands, but the little kwami didn't wake. Marinette looked up at Master Fu. "Can I take her home?" she asked hopefully.

With a small smile, Master Fu nodded. "Yes, you may. But be very careful. Too much negative emotions will drain her powers."

Marinette's breath caught in her throat. "Is that why she got sick in the first place? Because I was sad?"

"Yes, Marinette. Miraculous holders are not immune to Hawkmoth's akumas. Your feelings of pain, anger, and sadness were making you a very easy target. And if Hawkmoth _did_ get you under his control, we would all be doomed. So Tikki expended all her power into making sure you were protected. But it is a very taxing action, and once she committed she could not stop. You just got more upset, and it drained Tikki's powers horribly. That was why you collapsed as Ladybug. If you hadn't brought Tikki to me when you had, the consequences would be terrible."

"Tikki could have d-died?"

Fu shook his head. "Powerful forces such as kwamis do not simply _die_. I would compare it to dropping them into the Mariana Trench with bricks attached to them. Yes, they would be gone for an extremely long time, a millennium perhaps. But they would be back eventually."

Marinette went pale. "I could have done that to Tikki?"

"Yes, you could have."

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no." Her lip trembled, and Master Fu put his hand on her arm, looking worried.

"No negative emotions, Marinette!"

 **Hi! I know this chapter took a long time to get to you, but there are many reasons for that. My teachers decided to pile on the homework, and I got writer's block. I had lots of sport over the weekend, too. I also found out that I'm having an allergic reaction to the cream I use on my face, so I now have red blotches and a bit of acne, which is a pain in the neck. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant to the story, and probably really annoying to read. I will try my best to get the next chapter to you in a few days, though it depends on how much stuff I have on. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	26. Chapter 26

Adrien had been dreading that afternoon. He'd been to many dull events, but this one took the cake. Chloe seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Adrien had no wish to attend this dance with her, which made the fitting ten times worse.

It might have been slightly better if Chloe wasn't such a horrible customer. She'd tried on half the dresses Gabriel's had to offer and had somehow managed to find fault with all of them. Adrien had selected his suit a whole hour ago, while Chloe was still fussing over too-large bows and not enough sparkle. It was almost enough to drive a person crazy and Adrien felt extremely sorry for the shop assistants.

He was sitting on one of the expensive velvet ottomans that were sprinkled around the store, waiting for Chloe to emerge from the change rooms. In his pocket, Plagg was nibbling on some cheese. The kwami had been silent ever since yesterday when Ladybug had collapsed. Adrien hadn't thought too much of it, though. He was mostly worried about his lady.

The changing room door swung open, and Chloe pranced out. Adrien sighed. If that was her idea of a walk, then she would never be a model.

The blonde strutted around, heels clicking on the marble floor, admiring herself in the many mirrors around the store. She stopped in front of Adrien. "Well, Adrikins?"

It exactly the same thing she had said to him each time she'd tried on a new dress. Clearly, Chloe wasn't one for originality.

He squinted at the gown. It was black, with silver embellishments around the hem, which brushed the floor. The neckline was a v-neck that almost went down to Chloe's midriff. Adrien knew that his father designed for many famous celebrities, and that this dress would be perfectly acceptable on a red carpet on a grown woman. However, since Chloe was barely sixteen and would be wearing the dress to a high school dance, Adrien doubted that it was a good choice.

"Uhhhhh.." He tried to think of a way of saying it gently. "I don't think it's quite right."

Chloe pouted. "But it compliments your suit so perfectly. I know you didn't want to wear matching outfits, but surely this doesn't count."

"That's not why, Chloe. It's just a little…. _extra_ for a high school dance."

The blonde frowned. "How? _I_ think it's quite plain."

Adrien sighed. "The neckline?" he tried.

Chloe glanced down. "Oh, I suppose. You really are hard to please, Adrikins," she laughed.

The model gritted his teeth into a false smile until Chloe swished back into the changerooms. Then his expression dropped. He really didn't want to go to the dance with Chloe. He wanted to ask Ladybug as Chat Noir, so they could go together. But his father was adamant, and Chloe would explode if Adrien ditched her.

So Adrien would mysteriously disappear at the dance, once Chloe was sidetracked by criticizing the other girls' dresses and partners. He'd meet up with LB, and they'd go together. Everyone would be too distracted by the presence of two superheroes to notice that Adrien had disappeared. Besides, he could always slip off to the bathrooms as Chat and momentarily step in as Adrien, just to stop anyone from getting suspicious. That way, no one would get hurt. Everything would be just fine.

The changing room door swung open again, and Adrien braced himself for Chloe's next outfit.

MLBMLBMLB

Tikki was resting, and Marinette was freaking out.

It was one of the hardest things in the world to force yourself not to be sad when being sad was all you wanted to do. Adrien's rejection had cut her to the bone and was stinging her like crazy, but Marinette couldn't think about it. She'd tried meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, and even going to sleep, but nothing worked. It was like an out-of-reach itch, one that she couldn't quite scratch, and it was driving her crazy. Marinette needed to scream, cry, vent, but she couldn't.

 _No negative emotions. No negative emotions. No negative emotions.\_

She repeated the words like a mantra, but it only made it worse. She needed to get out, let it out, do something….

"Marinette?" Sabine's head bobbed up from the trapdoor. "How was sch- Dear, are you all right?"

Marinette glanced in the mirror. Her reflection stared back, flushed and messy-haired; almost deranged. She could understand her mother's concern.

"I'm fine, Mama. Just fine."

"Are you sure?" Sabine still looked worried. "Do you need to talk?"

Marinette shook her head, smiling at her mother. "No, it's fine. I was just going to go for a walk. Clear my head."

"Oh, of course. Have fun, and be safe. Your father will be busy until late, but you and I can cook dinner together if you want."

"Sounds great, Mama." Marinette followed her mother down the stairs and bent to kiss her cheek. "Bye!"

"Bye, sweetie."

Marinette could only hope that there would be no _negative emotions_ in Paris today, as she'd left Tikki in her room.

MLBMLBMLB

After two hours of trying on gowns, Chloe had somehow still not managed to find something to her liking. Or rather, something that was appropriate for a school dance. Adrien didn't really think thigh-high splits were the style to go with. However, he was getting tired of this game, and was trying not to be so picky. Chloe was not making it easy.

Her latest ensemble had featured one of the sparkliest, pinkest dresses Adrien had ever seen. It was quite nice, really, except for the extraordinary amount of cut-outs on the bodice. Even if Gabriel had designed the dress, Adrien doubted his father would approve.

So Adrien had left his velvet ottoman and approached one of the store assistants who knew him well.

"Excuse me, Miss Estelle?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Ah, it's the golden boy! How are you coping with our lovely customer?" She nodded towards the changing rooms and winked at Adrien.

Adrien grinned back. "I'm getting a little tired of it, to be honest," he confided, lowering his voice. "Do you think you could arrange for some more appropriate dresses?"

Estelle nodded. "Of course, honey. Something like this?" She held up a gown from the latest collection that was much more to Adrien's taste.

"That's fantastic, Estelle. Thank you."

She ruffled his hair affectionately. "It's no trouble, Adrien. You're a good boy for doing this." She turned away to tidy a shelf.

Adrien knew what she meant. Although she was just a shop assistant, she was quite well-known to Gabriel, who worked closely with the store manager, who was Estelle's aunt. Therefore, Estelle was something of a representative for store employees when necessary. Estelle had often slipped Adrien sweets when he was younger and still did now. She was like an older, distant cousin to Adrien.

Chloe sashayed out again, and Adrien looked up to inspect the dress. He was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it was a _little_ over the top, but Adrien figured that he would be here all night before they found the perfect match. Chloe twirled on the spot, narrowly avoiding a trip.

"Well, Adrikins?"

Adrien smiled at her. "It looks great, Chlo," he said warmly.

She looked surprised, then quickly rearranged her features into a superior smirk. "Well, of course it does! It's on me!" She threw back her head and laughed loudly.

Adrien stood up, shooting Estelle a grateful look. She smiled at him knowingly, and as they passed to leave, slipped a chocolate into Adrien's palm.

MLBMLBMLB

The air was crisp on Marinette's face, and the wind tugged at her knitted cap, threatening to snatch it as clouds swirled overhead. The cold temperature had ushered most Parisians inside, and therefore there were very few people out and about. Marinette walked briskly through the city, scents whipping around her. Fresh coffee and bread, flowers and wool floated out of the warm, bright shops. Marinette wished Alya was with her. They would be laughing and chatting, sitting in one of the cozy little cafes, sipping coffee and nibbling pastries.

But Alya had been complaining loudly about her homework, and how it was getting impossible to balance schoolwork and the Ladyblog, especially with the tests coming up. Marinette thought it was best not to distract or burden the girl. Alya had enough on her plate as it was without Marinette adding to it.

Marinette turned down a familiar laneway, passing more shopfronts until she reached her destination. Warmth flowed around her as the bluenette stepped inside the shop and was enveloped in the scents of fabric and wood.

"Miss Marinette! It has been too long, _mon cherie_!"

Marinette was crushed in the embrace of her old friend. "It's only been a week, Madame Jocelyn," she laughed, hugging the old woman back.

Madame Jocelyn stepped back. "A week lasts forever without your cheery face, _mon petit_ ," she said kindly. "However, you do not seem so bright today. What is the trouble?"

"Nothing, really. I suppose I just need cheering up," said Marinette.

Madame Jocelyn clapped her hands. "Well, then, you came to the right place, no? Come, have a seat!" She led Marinette over to the overstuffed armchairs. "How is your ball gown going, my dear?" she asked.

"Pretty good, thanks," replied Marinette. "It'll probably need a few all-nighters...or perhaps not."

"This dress is for Valentine's Dance, yes?"

"Yeah," sighed Marinette.

"And you asked the model to go with you, and he said no?"

Marinette gaped. "How did you-"

Madame Jocelyn chuckled. "I am not quite as young as I appear, and I have known you for more years than I remember. Which also means that I know you came here for a drink, a hug, and some peace. Which is why I have your basket right here." The woman dragged over a woven basket full of fashion magazines and patterns over to Marinette. "And your drink is on its way. Happy reading, dear."

MLBMLBMLB

As far as kwamis went, Plagg was pretty predictable. When Adrien finally escaped into the privacy of his room, he was expecting the creature to shoot out of his pocket, demand cheese, and complain.

So he was more than a little surprised when Plagg shot out of his pocket and began biting and scratching every inch of bare skin: face, arms, and hands.

"Ow! Plagg!" Adrien swatted at the kwami, who simply dodged his flailing hands and continued to attack. "Get off! OW!"

Plagg's teeth and claws may have been small, but they could still cause considerable damage. Adrien would compare it to having a bunch of needles scratching and poking him.

"PLAGG, GET OFF!" roared Adrien, smacking his kwami with a pillow, and sending him spiraling away. The model glanced down at himself, and his anger grew when he saw the blood on his clothes and arms. Shielding himself with his pillow, Adrien glared up at the kwami. "What is your _problem_?" he demanded furiously, rubbing his arms. "Seriously?"

Plagg hovered above him, scowling. "It's your own fault."

"What?"

"I said it's your own fault!" yelled Plagg, and dived at him again.

This time, Adrien was prepared. He wrapped his bleeding hand securely around the angry kwami, pinning his arms to his sides. "Not so fast, you little feral. What's going on?"

Plagg tried to bite him. "Stupid- Ladybug- idiot!" he spluttered.

Adrien shook him gently. "I command you to answer me!"

A black spark popped into the air, and a stream of words gushed out of Plagg's tiny mouth. "You have no idea what you're doing. Your stupid plan is never gonna work. You hurt Ladybug so much. I'm taking you to Fu."

"What? What do you mean, I hurt Ladybug? I thought I was cheering her up! I thought she was getting better."

"Well, she _might_ have gotten better, if your dumb self hadn't stepped in and screwed it all up," spat Plagg.

"How?" Adrien tilted his head in confusion. "What did I do? And why does it matter so much?"

Plagg looked ready to kill. "MIRACULOUS HOLDERS CAN STILL BE AKUMATIZED, YOU IDIOT!" he screamed, wriggling free of Adrien grasp and clawing at his face.

Adrien yelped. "Plagg, stop! I order you to stop!"

Another spark popped, and suddenly Plagg was hovering meters away from his chosen, a surly look on his little face. "Idiot," he muttered.

"Explain to me, right now." Adrien crossed his arms and stared at his kwami.

Plagg sighed and cursed. "I can't."

"Oh, yes you can, and you're gonna-" began Adrien furiously, but Plagg cut him off.

"I really can't Adrien! There are rules, and normally I don't give a damn about rules, but these are important ones. I'd be in _heaps_ of trouble if I broke them."

"Surely there's a loophole, Plagg."

The little cat shrugged. "Probably. But if you want to find that loophole, you and your sweetheart are going to have to pay a visit to Master Fu."

"The one I took Ladybug to?"

"Yep."

"So why can't you, Mr. Rules-Have-No-Purpose, tell me anything?"

"Because it's a matter of your identities. When it comes to them, I'm never going to break the rules."

 **Hi! Another chapter, done and dusted! I'm trying to get the plot to pick up again because I want to get this project finished so I can start on another one. You guys are absolutely fantastic, and the other day when I opened my laptop, I saw that this story has gotten three thousand reads! I couldn't have asked for better readers, thank you all so much!**


	27. Chapter 27

Marinette had received a frantic phone call from her mother at around six o'clock, demanding she come home immediately. The girl had gotten so caught at Madame Jocelyn's shop that she hadn't realized night had fallen. Brushing off Madame Jocelyn's concerned offers to call a taxi, the girl had hurried home under the cover at night. She was wary as she passed dark alleys but soon felt more comfortable once she got to the brightly lit streets.

As she strode purposefully towards the bakery, a dark shadow dropped in front of her, causing Marinette to shriek and leap backwards. The shadow rushed forwards and caught her as she stumbled.

As Marinette lay in the shadow's arms, breathing heavily, she saw a pair of glowing green eyes staring down at her, and heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank god it's you, Chat Noir. You scared the daylights out of me."

He helped her to her feet and bowed. "Nothing could ever take your light, princess."

Marinette chuckled as she tried to slow her heart rate. "Smooth," she said.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Of course it was. What are you doing out on your own, anyway?"

Marinette sniffed. "I'm a big girl now, Chat Noir. I can look after myself."

Chat shook his head. "I don't doubt your capability to take care, Marinette. But there are people who wouldn't hesitate to….take advantage of you." He grinned, teeth brilliant in the darkness. "Besides, you're not such a _big girl_. Aren't you five foot two?"

The bluenette huffed. "We can't all be as tall as you, Chat. Besides, the best things come in small packages, you know."

Chat just smiled. "Of course I know that, princess. Ladybug's a shorty too."

Marinette ignored the _shorty_ comment. "To answer your original question, Chat Noir, I was simply taking a walk to clear my head when I got caught up at a friend's place. My mother called me to tell me to come home."

"A friend's, huh?" Chat leaned against a lamp-post and raised his eyebrow. "What kind of, _ahem_ , friend?"

Marinette swatted at him. "Not _that_ kind of friend, you dumb cat. For your information, she's a sixty-plus-year-old woman who owns a little fabric shop. I'm not having any secret rendezvous with a boy."

"I knew that," said Chat sheepishly. "Anyway, have you seen Ladybug around? I really need to talk to her."

Marinette flinched, then regained her composure. "No, I haven't seen her. You seem awfully serious about it."

"It's life or death." Chat looked so unusually solemn that Marinette got the feeling that he wasn't kidding.

"Well, I'd better be going!" chirped Marinette. "I should have been home by now. I'll tell you if I see Ladybug. Bye, Chat!" She turned and practically ran home, heart pumping.

Chat stared. Had his life-or-death comment scared her? Probably. When the superheroes of Paris were in a life or death situation, people tended to get scared. But Chat couldn't think about Marinette now. He had to find Ladybug before it was too late.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette paused just long enough for a short conversation with her mother, assuring her that she was fine, and hadn't gotten into any trouble. Then she climbed the stairs two at a time, desperate to get to Tikki. The little pink kwami was dipping anxiously around Marinette's room as her chosen burst in, panting.

"Marinette!" cried the little kwami, rushing over to her. "Chat Noir's been calling nonstop! You should never have left me here, I was so worried! How are you?"

Marinette held up her hand for silence, still panting. "I know, I know," she puffed. "I just ran into Chat, and he said it was a life or death situation. And I'm coping okay. Not akumatised yet," she added jokingly.

"Marinette, this is no laughing matter!" admonished Tikki. "You need to transform and get to Chat right now!"

Marinette closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Tikki, spots on!"

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir was getting desperate. He'd called Ladybug a dozen times, leaving voicemails that grew increasingly panicked. He'd asked everyone he'd seen, the question leaving his mouth before he'd even landed in front of the civilians.

 _Have you seen Ladybug?_

They would look baffled, or surprised, and always say no. Chat would disappear to ask another person before the person could ask any questions. Every time he approached a new Parisian, there was a small flicker of hope in his heart, and every time that little flame was extinguished, ready for him to light another one.

But the light was dimming with each 'no'. No one had seen Ladybug. What if something terrible had happened? What if she'd been akumatised, and was lying helpless before Hawkmoth, bleeding and in pain as he forced her to give up her miraculous? What if she...wasn't even living? Ladybug would never give up her miraculous to Hawkmoth, even if it meant pain and suffering. Except if it put her loved ones in danger….

But if Hawkmoth didn't use her family and friends, and just used torture, then Ladybug would be dead. She would never, ever willingly give up her earrings. Hawkmoth would have to kill her to take them from her.

Chat choked back a sob as he imagined his Lady lying at Hawkmoth's feet, covered in blood and not breathing as the villian rached own to take her earrings. She couldn't die! He loved her too much, and he wouldn't be able to live without her. Even if her miraculous was recovered, Chat wouldn't be able to bear having a different Ladybug at his side, no matter what.

He tried to shake those horrible thoughts and images from his head, but the more he tried to escape, the harder it was, like his thoughts were some kind of giant Chinese finger trap.

He had to think. He had to find a way to get to Ladybug. But how?

He needed to make sure everyone in Paris knew that Chat Noir was looking for his partner. He had to find some way of broadcasting it to the city. The more he thought about it, the easier it was to forget the possibilities that tormented him.

Not wanting to waste even a second, the superhero began to run, using his baton to propel himself forwards, until he was positioned in front of a familiar building, one he'd visited a handful of times with his friends, usually Nino. Swinging over to one of the balconies, he knocked on the glass sliding door. Curtains stretched across the glass, but there was a brightness around the edges of the material, coming from an inside source of light.

The curtains twitched after several moments, and a bespectacled face peeked out at him, mouth falling open in shock as the girl realised exactly who was knocking on her door.

"Chat Noir!" Alya flung open the door. "Come in, you must be cold. Is everything okay?"

Chat stepped into the warmth gratefully, looking around her room. He'd been there several times before, and it was exactly the kind of thing one would've expected. Books, technology, maps and a massive desk were key features in the space; perfect for the blogger. Alya's computer was on, displaying a website that Chat visited often- the Ladyblog, Alya's pride and joy and possibly the solution to Chat's problem.

Alya stared at him, waiting. It was then that Chat realised she'd asked him a question. "Well, no, everything's not okay."

Alya peered at him. "What do you mean?" she asked. "And where's Ladybug?"

"That's just it," said Chat hopelessly. "I have no idea. And I really, really need to see her."

Alya looked solemn. "And you want me to put it on the Ladyblog, so that she can see it."

"Yeah. Well, that's if she can see it…"

The flannel-wearing girl turned to her computer and began punching commands into the keyboard. Soon, a message box had popped up on the screen, ready for someone to start typing. Alya moved to the side and motioned for him to start writing. "Be my guest."

Chat began typing furiously, not bothering to check his grammar. Once he had finished, Alya moved in and quickly fixed up his spelling and punctuation errors. Chat expected her to crack a joke about it, but Alya seemed to have gotten the message that this was actually a really serious situation.

"So, why exactly do you need to find Ladybug?" she asked, uploading the message. "I swear I won't tell anyone."

Chat sighed. He trusted Alya, he really did, but this was difficult to explain to a civilian. "It's complicated."

Alya folded her arms across her chest. "Try me," she shot back.

"Long story short, she might be akumatized and possibly even d-dead. If Hawkmoth has her under his control, well….cue the doomsday music." He felt tears began to prick at his eyes, and forced them back. Superheroes didn't cry. They had to stay strong, always.

Alya looked both shocked and horrified at the same time, and also faintly ill. "How horrible. Chat Noir, you have to believe in Ladybug. She's brave and strong. She'll fight this."

"Of course she will," replied Chat. "But if she was akumatized, then it's all my fault."

Alya now looked extremely sorry for him. "Chat, you need to pay the TV station a visit. Get them to broadcast this. I'm sure they'll help. Everyone loves you and Ladybug."

MLBMLBMLB

Nadja Chamack was just finishing her catchphrase when the studio door flew open, and a person dressed in black barrelled in. At first she was terrified, but then realised that she had been graced with the presence of one of Paris' own superheroes.

Moments later, said superhero was standing right in front of the camera, spotlight now on him as his message was broadcasted across the city.

"People of Paris, this is Chat Noir. I need your help urgently. If any of you see my partner, Ladybug, at any time, please tell her to come to the Eiffel Tower immediately. While I can't go into details for many reasons, I can tell you that this is of the utmost importance. And Ladybug, if you're watching this, please come immediately. Thank you, Parisians, and goodnight." Chat finished and quickly moved away, allowing the cameras to swing over to Nadja Chamack, who continued going through the evening news.

One of the technicians put a hand on Chat Noir's shoulder. "Are you all right, sir? Is there anything I can get you?"

Chat shook his head and offered a tired smile. "No, thanks. I'll be heading off now. Thanks for everything."

Outside, as he headed towards the tower, Chat checked his baton, and tried calling Ladybug again, and as the call went to voicemail his hopeful flicker died once more.

MLBMLBMLB

Ladybug checked her yo-yo before she swung off her balcony. No less than twelve missed calls from Chat Noir, with a voice message to accompany each one. There was also a Ladyblog update alert, and a news alert. After a moment's hesitation, Ladybug tapped on the first of her partner's messages. There was a beep, and Chat's familiar voice came through, sounding slightly desperate. " _Ladybug, call me back ASAP. I need to know that you're okay."_

Biting her lip, the superhero then looked at the Ladyblog update. It was a single message, titled ' _ **IMPORTANT!**_ '

' _To everyone who is on this site, this is a message from Chat Noir. I am urgently seeking out my partner, Ladybug. If you know where she is, or have any information on her whereabouts, please tell her to call me immediately. Ladybug, if you're reading this, meet me at our usual spot. This is a serious situation. Thank you.'_

Ladybug flipped the yo-yo closed, very aware of the mess laid out in front f her. Something was very, very wrong. And she intended to find out. Flicking her wrist, she cast her yo=yo as far away as she could, and tugged. As the wind whipped her face and she danced over rooftops, she wondered what she was going to say to Chat Noir.

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir paced the beam of the Eiffel Tower, muttering a prayer his mother had taught him over and over again. He hoped with all his heart that Ladybug was safe, that she had gotten his messages, that she was on her way here.

But he didn't know, and it was killing him. She wasn't answering his calls, and no one seemed to have any news. He hated being like this, so helpless when his lady's life was in danger.

Then he heard a sound that filled him with joy.

Never in his life had Chat Noir been so happy to hear someone say his name. Never in his life had he felt so many emotions tangle up inside him. Never in his life had he felt so hopeful.

He turned around, and raced forwards. Ladybug stood a few meters away from him, concern etched into her perfect features as she tied her yo-yo around her waist. Chat crushed her in a hug, holding her so tight that she could barely breath.

"Chat- Noir," she gasped, "You're crushing me."

He released her, and she massaged her ribs. "What's going on?"

Chat Noir forgot that superheroes never cried.

Ladybug stared at him in shock as a tear trickled down his face and he tried to brush it away. Then she stopped staring, and simply hugged him.

She was small, but so warm and comforting. She didn't care that her shoulder have getting wet from his tears, or that her partner was crying right in front of her. It only made Chat love her even more.

When he'd calmed down enough to speak properly, she asked again. "What's going on? Why were you so desperate to contact me?"

Chat had to think before he replied. "It's a long story. Basically, my kwami started to attack me today. He got really mad, and said that I'd hurt you really badly… somehow. Started yelling about how miraculous holders can be akumatized. I got scared because if you were akumatized, it would mean disaster. So I tried to contact you, to make sure you were okay. When you didn't pick up, I started imagining all these horrible possibilities. You, dead at Hawkmoth's feet as he took your earrings. You being tortured for your miraculous, and me having to fight you because you were under Hawkmoth's control. I was terrified, Ladybug. I don't think I'd be able to live without you."

There was a look on his partner's face that Chat couldn't quite name. It was the kind of expression people had when they were holding a baby and it smiled, or when they saw a cute puppy.

"Chat…..that's really, really sweet of you. I don't think I could live without you either." Chat got the feeling that she wasn't just being nice. Ladybug was actually telling the truth, and it made Chat feel like he would explode with happiness.

Then Ladybug frowned at him. "There's just one thing I don't understand...why did your kwami think that _you_ had hurt me?"

 **Yay, another chapter is done! This was actually pretty easy to write, maybe because I just finished reading this really good (but pretty damn sad) book. If you're looking for a really well-written young adult novel, I recommend** _ **The Beginning of Everything**_ **by Robyn Schneider. I would compare it to a John Green book, as it's the kind that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. It made me cry anyway, but that might just be me being an emotional teenager. Anyway, bye!**


	28. Chapter 28

"Why did your kwami think that _you_ had hurt me?"

As soon as the question left Ladybug's lips, Chat Noir heard Plagg's voice inside his head. _Tell her about the identities, and you're going to have some nasty scratches for school tomorrow._

Chat winced at the thought, then answered Ladybug. "He couldn't say. Something about rules? My kwami's kind of weird."

 _Oh, I'm going to get you for that._

 _Plagg, shut up or no cheese for the rest of the week._

 _Have fun explaining all your scratch marks to your make-up artist, then._

 _You wouldn't._

 _Try me, loser._

Chat ignored Plagg's last statement and focused back on Ladybug, who was frowning.

"Well, that's still weird," she said, brow creasing as she thought.

Chat shrugged. "He also wants us to pay a visit to Master Fu."

"Fu?" Ladybug looked surprised. "Why on earth would he want that? Please tell me it's not meditation lessons."

"What?" Chat stared at her. She gave him a look that clearly said _don't ask_. "Okay, okay. It's probably too late now, but do you want to meet up after the next akuma?"

Ladybug sighed. She had tests to study for, and she was going to be exhausted. Even contemplating the idea of an akuma attack made her weary. "I guess."

"Well, that's settled." Chat checked his baton for the time. "It's getting kind of late, and I should probably spread the news that you're safe."

"Sure thing," said Ladybug with a yawn. She blinked, then put her hand on Chat's arm. He turned to her, a look of mild surprise on his face. She smiled up at him. "Chat, thank you very much for making sure I'm okay. I really appreciate your concern."

Chat swallowed thickly. "It's no problem. But Ladybug, please, please tell me if you think you're in danger of being akumatized. I'm sure we can work something out."

Ladybug nodded. "Deal. Goodnight, kitty." She drew her yo-yo and prepared to swing away.

"Don't I get a kiss this time?" joked Chat. He didn't really mean it, but Ladybug rolled her eyes and walked over to him. Rising to her toes, she pecked his cheek gently. Chat's mouth fell open, and she winked at him.

"There's your kiss, kitty. Be grateful."

Chat didn't realize his mouth was still open until he got home.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette disliked many things, but she hated tests with a passion.

She was a good student and got good grades. But the trouble with her good grades was that they didn't come naturally. Some of her classmates, such as Max, Alya, and Adrien seemed to have an annoying penchant for passing tests without studying beforehand. Marinette, on the other hand, could often be found holed up in her bedroom, reading textbooks and old notes, using flashcards and doing practice quizzes online. She needed to work hard to get her grades, and it irritated her that her friends didn't.

So when Marinette sat down on Wednesday morning and saw what was written on the board, she slumped down and groaned. Test after test, for the entire day. Sure, she'd studied for all of them, but six tests all in a row was pushing it. Alya rubbed her back sympathetically.

"Cheer up, girl, it' not that bad," she whispered, trying not to laugh. Marinette lifted her head to glare at the blogger.

"Easy for you to say," she growled. "I'm sure you'll blitz them all."

Alya sighed, and pulled out her phone, checking something on the Ladyblog. Marinette continued to sit with her head in her hands until someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Marinette?"

The bluenette sat up so fast that she almost headbutted the person who'd spoken. "Yes?"

Adrien took a step back. "Uh...can I talk to you? Privately?" he asked, with a glance at Alya, who hissed.

Marinette's bottom lip trembled and her fists clenched. "No thanks, Adrien," she replied coolly.

His face fell. Marinette was obviously still upset with him. He wanted to talk to her and explain his actions, but if she didn't want to listen, then what was the point?

"Uh, sure. That's fine," he said awkwardly and began to return to his desk.

"I know it's fine," shot Marinette, still in that cool tone. Adrien went bright red but didn't say anything as he sat back down. He could feel the two girls glaring at him as he buried his head into a book, wishing that he hadn't screwed up a good friendship over this stupid dance.

Nino moved closer to him. "You okay, bro?"

Adrien shrugged. He didn't really want to talk, but it was Nino, so he answered. "I'm fine."

Nino gave him a disbelieving look and opened his mouth to continue the conversation, but at that moment the classroom door opened, and a familiar blonde sashayed over to the boys, flanked by her best friend.

"Adrikins!" squealed Chloe Bourgeois, putting her elbows on top of his notes and cupping her chin with her hands. "Wasn't last night so much _fun_?"

 _No, it wasn't, and I'm not going to the dance with you,_ was what Adrien wanted to say, but he knew there would be dire consequences if he did so. Instead, he sighed. "It was okay, I guess."

Chloe pouted, centimeters from his face, causing Adrien to lean back slightly. "Oh, what's got you so down, _mon petit_? Is something wrong?"

Nino rolled his eyes at the pet name, and Adrien tried not to gag as the scent of Chloe's expensive (and very strong) perfume enveloped him. "No, I'm fine," he replied with a tight smile.

Chloe nodded. "Well, good luck on the tests, Adrichou! I'm sure you'll pass with running colours, you're just so smart," she purred, batting her eyelashes and leaning in.

Adrien realized what she was planning to do and quickly turned his head, so her lips pressed down onto his cheek, in the exact same spot that Ladybug had kissed him last night. Chloe flounced away, smiling sweetly. Adrien waited until her back was turned, then wiped off the lip-gloss mark on his cheek. Beside him, Nino snickered.

" _I'm sure you'll pass with running colours, Adrichou, you're sooo smart_ ," mimicked Nino, raising his voice into a falsetto and capturing Chloe's valley-girl accent perfectly. "She didn't even get the phrase right!" Nino continued, his voice back to normal. "It's _flying_ colours, not running colours!"

Adrien nodded in agreement. "I see that ten years of education have not been wasted on her," he said gravely, causing Nino to snort.

"Well, let's hope her tendencies won't rub off on you, because you're sooo smart."

Adrien punched Nino gently and began to read his notes again, smiling slightly.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette put another pin in her mouth and continued to hem a piece of the skirt as her 'motivational' playlist blared from her phone. She'd wanted to put on her 'sad' playlist (the one that featured a lot of Adele and The Script) but Tikki hadn't let her. _No negative, emotions, Marinette!_

When were people going to stop saying that to her?

"Ow!" Marinette winced as she jabbed herself with one of her pins. She brought her hand to her mouth, automatically going to suck on the injured finger, a habit she'd developed years ago and hadn't been able to quit. Unfortunately, her mouth was full of pins, and when she opened her mouth, they fell and scattered everywhere.

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" Marinette bent down and began to gather up the dropped pins, glaring at her finger. "Why am I so clumsy?"

Tikki flew down to help her chosen, giggling. "Don't worry, Marinette. At least you didn't ruin your dress."

Marinette huffed. "It wouldn't matter if I did, because I'm not going to the dance," she told her kwami.

"Then why are you working on it?"

"Because I'm sick of studying and I don't want to waste all this fabric."

Tikki accepted the girl's answer with a nod, but deep down she knew Marinette wasn't telling the entire truth. Yes, she was sick of studying, and no, she didn't want to waste the fabric, but there was another reason. Deep down, in a place that Marinette refused to even acknowledge, the young superhero was still hoping that maybe, just maybe, Adrien would change his mind and that maybe, just maybe, her torn-apart dream of twirling in a ball gown with Adrien would become reality.

Marinette was still lying to herself, and it concerned Tikki. It was one step closer to being akumatized.

Tikki hoped that Marinette wouldn't take any more steps.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien was familiar with staying up late, staring at his computer. So it was no surprise to his kwami when he came back from the cheese cupboard to find the boy staring at the Ladyblog. It was the website Adrien visited the most and featured in his history a _lot_. One could call it an obsession, and one would be correct. Adrien Agreste was fully, completely obsessed his Ladybug.

Too bad he'd rejected her as a civilian.

Usually, Adrien was looking at the Ladyblog because he wanted some new clue about Ladybug's civilian self. Tonight, he had a different purpose. He was waiting for news of an akuma attack, so he could transform and meet with his lady. They had a lot to discuss.

Plagg lazily flew across to his chosen, clutching a hunk of cheese. "I hope you've got your priorities in order."

"Huh?" Adrien was still gazing dreamily at an image of his partner's face.

Plagg sighed and moved to block the boy's vision. He blinked. "Plagg, move!"

"Nope."

"Oh, come on!"

" _No_ , Adrien. You have to listen to me," insisted the kwami, as the boy groaned and slumped back in his chair.

" _Fiiiiine_."

"Right. Now, tell me what your first priority is, in the case of an akuma attack. And you'd better not stuff this up," he warned, taking a bite of his cheese.

"Defeat the akuma, and make sure the people are safe," drawled Adrien.

Plagg rolled his eyes at the tone but didn't comment on it. "Good. Then what?"

"Talk to Ladybug."

" _About..._?" pressed Plagg.

"Going to the dance with me?" tried Adrien hopefully.

Plagg gave a frustrated growl. " _No_! Adrien, this is way more important than your stupid dance! You're going to go to Fu's with her. Everything will be explained there. Then, depending on the situation, you _might_ be able to ask her to your dance. Got it?" Plagg stared at the model with his luminous eyes, daring him to contradict the kwami.

Adrien simply yawned. "Got it."

Plagg sighed. "Go to sleep," he told the boy. "You have tests tomorrow, and I'll wake you if there's an attack."

Adrien complained a little but eventually dragged himself to bed, muttering something about 'bloody tests'.

MLBMLBMLB

That night, Marinette finished the skirt of her gown.

Despite Tikki's cautions about how late it was getting, and how she had school tomorrow (more tests, ugh), Marinette persevered. It was past midnight by the time she'd sewn the final hem, but Marinette didn't care. Her head was crammed full of knowledge for tomorrow's (or actually, _today's_ ) tests, so she was about as prepared as she would ever be. She'd been neglecting the dress for a while, too, and she hated to leave projects unfinished.

By the time she'd slumped into bed, fingers dotted with small pecks from her pins, it was pitch black outside, with only a few hours left until the light began to seep into the sky. Marinette was exhausted, and would most likely be sleep-deprived tomorrow, but she was taking tests for her best subjects, thank goodness. Tests were the only thing she was going to need her energy for.

MLBMLBMLB

Somewhere in the distance, shutters whirred as they opened, revealing a stained glass window in the shape of a butterfly. His face glowing in the moonlight, Hawkmoth clutched his cane and smiled out at the sleeping city. "Time to find our next victim, my little akumas," he murmured. "The early bird catches the worm, after all."

MLBMLBMLB

Tikki tugged at her chosen's pajama shirt. "Marinette, wake up!" she called desperately.

The girl didn't stir, and Tikki kept tugging and calling. Eventually, she resorted to a more extreme tactic. Picking up the girl's phone, she turned up the volume and blared the girl's favourite song, right into her ear.

"GAH!" Marinette shot up, looking around wildly. "I didn't take the sewing machine, I swear!"

Tikki dropped the phone and got in her chosen's face. "Marinette, there's an akuma!"

"What? Now?" Marinette groaned and slumped back into her pillows. "Please tell me this is just a dream."

"Get up, Marinette! Now!" insisted the kwami.

 **Hi, guys I had to finish this really fast because I have to go to school. I hope this is a decent follow- up from the last chapter because people were all 'I hope the next chapter is just as good' and I was like, "Argh! Pressure!" So I hope this is up to standards, thanks for reading and let me know what you thought of it! Bye!**


	29. Chapter 29

Marinette transformed in her pajamas and was gone before the clock struck five. Usually, people called out as she swung over the rooftops, generally along the lines of "Go, Ladybug!", though she had gotten a few marriage proposals, which sometimes made Chat jealous. This morning, however, no one called out, because most of the city was asleep. There were a few early-morning joggers, a couple of commuters, and in the buildings, what seemed to be university students, slumped over a desk, staring blearily at a computer with their room aglow. Some would look up, startled, as she zipped past, and others didn't even bat an eyelid.

Ladybug came to a halt on a random building and checked her yo-yo. The akuma was a little further downtown, and was in a 'stable condition'; hadn't caused much damage yet, but was still potentially dangerous. Ladybug had no idea why it was a 'stable condition', especially since an unknown journalist had come up with it.

The red-suited superhero dialed her partner's number and waited for him to pick up, tapping her foot impatiently. On the eighth ring, she left a voice message and continued to make her way downtown, yo-yoing quickly.

'Stable condition' might be what the news called it, but Ladybug knew that it wouldn't take much for it to turn 'critical'.

MLBMLBMLB

Plagg didn't need an alarm to wake up Adrien. A hunk of camembert was sufficient.

"Argh, Plagg! Gross!" whined Adrien, blinking and sitting up, eyes glassy.

"Get up, loser," yawned Plagg. "You have a date with Miss Ladybug."

"Huh?" Adrien looked confused. "Is this a dream, or real life?"

Plagg pinched him. "It's real life! You don't actually have a _date_ with Ladybug, there's an akuma and you're going to see her!" he yelled.

Adrien gave his head a little shake. "Akuma?"

"Akuma!" Plagg confirmed, slightly louder than was really necessary. He did a loop-the-loop, biting into his cheese as he did so.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up." Adrien dragged himself out of bed and glanced out the window. "Oh, come on. It's not even light yet! Who does Hawkmoth think he is?"

Plagg extended his claws meaningfully, and Adrien held up his hands, eyes frantic.

"Okay! Jeez, someone didn't get his beauty sleep," muttered the model. He ran a hand through his hair and held out his hand. "Plagg, claws out!"

A few bright green flashes later, a leather-suited superhero stood in Adrien's place. Chat Noir yawned and stretched, then extended his baton, springing through the half-open window.

 _Plagg, whereabouts was the akuma?_

 _About a kilometer downtown_.

Chat Noir gave a loud groan. _So I'm making my way downtown?_

 _Walking fast,_ Plagg confirmed.

As Chat headed towards the akuma, no faces passed, and he wished he was homebound.

MLBMLBMLB

The akuma seemed to be just as tired as the heroes fighting it. It seemed to be a university student, of the same kind Ladybug had seen. It had a name Ladybug couldn't pronounce, but was pretty sure that it came from a video game. The victim was apparently frustrated by some essay that they couldn't complete, and had gotten really upset.

However, because it was five o'clock in the morning, and because the victim was a uni student, the akuma seemed extremely sluggish- not that Ladybug minded. She didn't even have to use her Lucky Charm. All it took for the duo to defeat the akuma was Ladybug distracting the poor guy, then Chat destroying the gaming controller on the akuma's belt. One "Miraculous Ladybug" later, everything was back to normal.

Chat and Ladybug called a taxi to get the unfortunate young man home, after doing the standard 'you've-been-akumatized' monologue. Once the taxi had pulled away, Chat offered his fist to Ladybug, which she bumped. "Pound it."

Chat slung his arm around Ladybug's shoulders for support, and let out a massive yawn. Moments later, Ladybug did the same thing, except she covered her mouth first.

"Why the hell did Hawkmoth have to akumatize someone at this hour?" muttered Ladybug sleepily.

Chat shrugged. "No idea, but now I hate him even more."

The duo was silent for a moment, leaning into each other and swaying as the light slowly crept into the world. Then Ladybug spoke. "Chat," she began hesitantly, "I know you wanted us to visit Fu after this, or whatever, but can we please postpone it?" she pleaded. "I'm just s-s-so tired." She yawned again, proving her point.

Chat nodded. "No problem. I guess I'll see you later?"

"Later," agreed Ladybug, readying her yo-yo. "Bye, kitty." She hurled her yo-yo at a chimney, tugged on it gently, and was gone.

Chat was so tired that he'd forgotten to ask her for a kiss before she left. But then again, he supposed he didn't want to push his luck or take advantage of her in her exhausted state. He stood alone for a moment, then left, making his way back home.

MLBMLBMLB

Alya knew her best friend wasn't one for keeping a good sleep schedule, but this was ridiculous. With her in the emotional state that she was, Marinette should be well aware that she needed at _least_ nine hours sleep each night.

But when the girl stumbled in on Wednesday morning with huge bruises under her eyes, hair messy, and eyes barely open, Alya knew that her BFF needed help.

The blogger took one look at Marinette when she staggered in and was immediately on her feet. "You. Me. In the hallway. Now." Ignoring the curious stares of her classmates, Alya steered the sleep-deprived fashion designer out of the classroom. Once the door was closed and they were out of earshot, Alya faced her friend.

"Marinette, tell me the truth. How many hours of sleep did you get last night?"

Marinette groaned, and began to count on her fingers. "I don't know, five?"

Alya could have slapped her. "You got _five hours_ of sleep."

"Uh-huh."

"Five hours," repeated Alya. "Girl, you need help."

"Uh-huh."

"And you're gonna get help. Right now." Alya didn't care that they needed to be in class in seven minutes. She was not going to let Marinette walk around looking like an extra from _The Walking Dead_. "Come on, girl, let's freshen you up."

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien was surprised when he saw the empty desk behind his. Although Marinette wasn't the most punctual person the world, Alya was usually on time. He supposed it didn't really make a difference if they were at school or not, as both girls were giving him the cold shoulder. He knew why, of course. Marinette was obviously upset at him for rejecting her, and Alya was mad at him for hurting her best friend, which made Adrien a little nervous. He liked Alya a lot, and they had been good friends, but he found her a little scary. He'd seen her get mad before, and he'd seen the way she took revenge on people. She was the force behind the Ladyblog, and therefore pretty well-known. If she wanted to, she could probably get a horde of screaming Ladybug fans to chase him down. The model shuddered at the thought.

"Hey, bro," said Nino, as he slid in beside Adrien.

"'Sup," responded Adrien absently. He was still thinking about the two empty seats behind him. "Hey, Nino, where's Alya and Marinette?"

Nino twisted around to look behind him and shrugged. "I don't know, why?"

Adrien just shrugged. "No reason."

Nino leaned closer to Adrien. "Look, bro, Alya's pretty mad at you. What did you do?"

Adrien sighed. "Marinette asked me to the dance. I said no."

Nino's eyes widened and he let out a low whistle. "I thought she knew that you were going with Chloe."

"Yeah, she did, but I told her earlier that I didn't want to go with Chloe, and she must have thought that I actually wasn't going with Chloe. I don't know, Nino."

"Well, no wonder Alya's mad at you. Try not to stuff up again, or she'll be after you."

"Will do." Adrien pulled out his notebook and buried his head in it, hoping to squeeze in some last-minute revision for the upcoming test. Suddenly, the book was flicked out of his hands, causing it to fall to the floor.

"Hey, what was tha-" Adrien looked up into the pouting face of Chloe Bourgeois. "Oh. Why'd you do that, Chloe?" he asked, bending to retrieve his book.

She giggled. "I wanted to surprise you, Adrikins!" she cooed, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger.

Adrien scratched the back of his head. "Um...okay. Do you actually know what a surprise is?"

Chloe nodded fiercely. "Of _course_ I know what a surprise is, Adrien! I have another one for you, actually. You'll get it on the night of Valentine's Dance, mmkay?"

Adrien winced, praying Chloe hadn't switched dresses. He was pretty sure his father would ground him for a month if Gabriel found out that Chloe had worn something too….revealing.

Chloe flipped her ponytail over her shoulder, and Adrien returned his attention to her. "Anyway, _mon petit_ , I noticed you looking for Alya and that bakery brat."

Adrien scowled at Chloe. "Marinette is not a brat, Chloe. You are- I mean, you're wrong."

The blonde heiress huffed and smoothed her jacket. "Uh, yes, she is. Haven't you noticed the way she's always throwing herself at you? I bet she even asked you to the dance, but you rejected her, and now she's _heartbroken_! Actually, no, she wouldn't have the courage to ask you in the first place!" Chloe tipped back her head and laughed loudly, earning a glare from her classmates, who were trying to study. "Anyway, she walked in looking like death warmed up, so she and the Alya girl left, probably hanging their heads in shame."

Adrien could feel his temper reaching its boiling point, but he managed to keep it in check. "You take that back _right now_ ," he growled through gritted teeth.

Chloe tittered. "Oh, Adrikins, you're so _funny_! Pretending that you care about her? Hilarious!"

Adrien got to his feet, breathing hard. Surprise flashed across Chloe's face as Adrien towered over her. Nino tugged on his shirt.

"Dude, sit down. _Chill_."

Adrien glared at Chloe, then stormed towards the classroom door, knowing that if he stayed in there, looking at Chloe's smug face, he wouldn't be able to control his anger. However, he didn't make it to the door. Just as he was about to put his hand on the handle, it was shoved open by someone on the other side, knocking him over.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng strode in, quickly followed by Alya Cesaire. As Adrien looked up at the blue-eyed girl, he felt his jaw drop.

Marinette's hair was piled up in a messy-bun hairdo, that somehow managed to look effortless and super cute at the same time. Her pretty blue eyes had a dusting of something coppery above them, and her pink lips were glossier than usual. She stood tall, more confident than usual, and her pink sweater/ black jeans combination was stylish.

Alya walked in behind her, looking exactly the same way that she usually did, except she wore a look on her face that said _disrespect me or my friend and you'll be sorry_.

As Adrien lay sprawled on the ground, Marinette looked down at him. He quickly closed his mouth.

"Oh, sorry, Adrien," she said coldly. "I didn't see you there." Offering her hand, she helped him up, then continued to her seat.

Chloe was suddenly right in front of Marinette. "You- you little _witch_!" she spluttered, staring at Marinette's glamorous look. "How dare you-you- uh- how dare you touch my boyfriend!"

Marinette simply glared at her. "Chloe?"

"What?"

" _Move._ "

As the two girls sat down behind him, leaving a red and spluttering Chloe in their wake, Adrien thought about what Chloe had said earlier. _Haven't you noticed the way she's always throwing herself at you? I bet she even asked you to the dance, but you rejected her, and now she's heartbroken! Actually, no, she wouldn't have the courage to ask you in the first place!_

What if he _had_ broken her heart?

 **A bit of Adrien 'Oblivious' Agreste for y'all. Thank you all so much for the reviews! You guys are absolutely fantastic. I'm so excited for the new episode! See you all in the next chapter!**


	30. Chapter 30

Adrien knew that Marinette was mad at him. He also knew that he couldn't afford to lose another friend.

Sure, there were probably dozens of people who would jump at the chance to be friends with Adrien Agreste, fashion model and heir to the Agreste fortune, but not many had an interest in Adrien Agreste, the _person_. Meaning that very few people actually wanted to be friends with him for his personality, because all they saw when they looked at him was what his father wanted them to see: a good-looking, dignified boy with money and power. Not a good friend, who told stupid puns and would gladly sit and play video games with his friends for an hour.

So far, Adrien had lost Kim's friendship over Chloe, Marinette's friendship over the dance, and Alya's friendship over Marinette. Three less people who liked him as a person.

So Adrien was going to try and win them back. Starting with Marinette, because if he made up with Marinette, he made up with Alya, too. The only problem was that Marinette was barely speaking with him. It was up to Adrien to make that change.

MLBMLBMLB

Nino scratched his head and stared at Adrien. "You sure, bro?"

Adrien nodded. "Of course I'm sure."

"You know that she pretty much hates you, right?"

"Yeah. Nino, this is gonna work. Trust me."

Nino shrugged. "Not my problem if she kills you, my dude. Good luck." He slapped Adrien's back, then went back to fiddling with one of his mixes.

Adrien took a deep breath, and tried to prepare himself so that he wouldn't end up getting tongue-tied. Marinette was sitting on the staircase by herself, flicking through a magazine and nibbling at some sliced apple. Her head was down, and she seemed to be in another world completely. Adrien was slightly nervous about disturbing her, but if he wanted to get his friends back, this was what he had to do.

"Marinette?"

She squawked, dropped her magazine, and accidentally ripped out her earbuds, which Adrien hadn't even noticed. As she fumbled to collect herself, Adrien caught the familiar sound of a popular song coming out of her earbuds.

Marinette whipped her head up to glare at him, clutching her magazine to her chest. Adrien caught a glimpse of himself on the cover, before her arm slipped over it. She stood up, looking furious. "What do you want?" she demanded. He'd obviously startled her.

Adrien opened his mouth to reply, but felt his words tangle in his throat. Swallowing, he tried again. "I, uh, wanted to talk?" His voice went up at the end of his sentence, making it sound like a question.

Marinette's icy stare didn't soften. "About?"

"Uhhhhh…" Adrien wasn't used to having the normally sweet and kind girl glowering at him like this. "About what I've done," he finally managed to say.

Marinette looked him up and down, and Adrien could practically _feel_ her judging him. "And what exactly _have_ you done?" she asked coldly.

Adrien shuffled his feet and put his hand on the back of his neck- a habit that he just couldn't shake. "I rejected you when you asked me to the dance."

"Yes, you did."

"And I'm really sorry." Adrien looked down at his feet, hoping that he wouldn't be met by a fist if he looked up. When nothing happened for a few seconds, he found the courage to lift his head.

Marinette put her hands on her hips, accentuating the curve of her waist. Adrien had to tear his eyes away from her middle and look her in the face, feeling slightly guilty for staring at her in _that_ way. Fortunately, Marinette didn't seem to notice. Unfortunately, the expression on her face told Adrien that whatever she was going to say next would not be in his favour.

"So you waltz over here," she began, "after several days, and decide to apologize. What were you thinking when you came over here, huh? That I'd kneel at your feet and hero-worship you, just because you said _sorry_?"

Adrien wasn't sure how to reply, but turns out, he didn't have to. Before he could open his mouth to respond, Marinette stepped closer to him, right in his face, except for the fact that she was almost a head shorter than him.

"Well, I've got news for you, Mr Front-Cover-Model," she snarled, poking his chest with her rolled-up magazine, "I'm _not_ going to forgive you so easily. It doesn't take much effort to walk up to some run-of-the-mill girl, who's _nothing_ compared to your famous model friends, and say _I'm really sorry_." Her voice rose into a falsetto as she mimicked him, and she glared up at Adrien, eyes cold and angry.

Adrien felt strangely hollow. "Marinette, you're not run-of-the-mill," he said. "And you're just as good as my model friends. You're ten times kinder and more talented than the-"

"Oh, save it!" Marinette's voice was loud and shrill, earning a few stares from other students. "You can lay on all the compliments you want, Adrien Agreste! What do you take me for, some lame fangirl who has-has pictures of you on their wall and cries over your latest advertisements? I'm not about to swoon and forgive you. You can take your worthless compliments and give them to _Chloe_ , even though you don't want to go to the dance with her, even though she forced you into kissing her!"

Adrien was speechless. He'd never seen Marinette so outraged before, and hadn't even known that she even had it in her. He had nothing to say or do that could possibly fix the situation. But he could still try. "Marinette, you don't understand. I was sincere in my compliments. I don't like fighting with you. You're one of my best friends."

The baker's daughter looked positively insane. Her eyes were wild and her face was red, and Adrien could sense that she was about to explode.

 _Crap._

Before Marinette could scream at him, her phone began to trill and vibrate. Shooting him a look of hatred, she snatched up her phone and glanced down to check it. Her mouth fell open. "Akuma," she muttered under her breath. Stowing her phone in her pocket, she gave Adrien one last look of loathing. "This isn't over, Agreste," she snapped, spinning on her heel and storming away, leaving a dumbstruck Adrien standing by the staircase, gaping.

It took him a few moments to completely process what Marinette had said. The word he'd been longing to here, because it could mean that all of his dreams would come true.

 _Akuma_.

MLBMLBMLB

Ladybug had fought many, many akumas in her time as a superhero. More than she could count, really, though she was sure that Alya would be keeping tabs on the amount. Most of the battles followed the same routine, like a video playing on loop. Get to the akuma. Go through the customary talk, _we can sort this out, blah, blah, blah_. Fight, then use the Lucky Charm/ Cataclysm. Free the akuma, purify it. Miraculous Ladybug with her charm, then run off into the sunset with Chat Noir. Repeat.

Today, though, the video was fast-forwarded and skipped a few important parts.

Ladybug showed up at the scene, a kilometre or two from the school. Rather than hang around to make small talk with the akuma, she got right into it.

When Chat Noir arrived, several minutes later, he expected to be alone, and was preparing to rattle off the pitch he'd stolen from his therapist. The therapist was hired shortly after his mother's disappearance, and fired shortly before Adrien started school. He'd never been much help anyway.

Chat was more than a little surprised to see Ladybug positively _crushing_ the akuma. It stood no chance against her and her fists. Chat almost felt sorry for it. If he'd been the subject of her heated glare, he'd be running away with his tail in between his legs.

Ladybug kicked the akuma solidly in the stomach, causing it to double over, winded. She mercilessly knocked its legs out from beneath it, snatched of it belt and tore it in two, like it had somehow wronged her. Chat watched, fascinated, as she purified the dark butterfly and tossed what seemed to be a still-sealed water bottle into the air.

As glowing pink magic swirled around the area, Chat approached his partner, twirling his stick and grinning. The superheroine was breathing heavily, checking something on her yo-yo and glaring at the screen. Chat put his clawed hand on her shoulder. "That was quite something, m'lady."

She spun, raising an eyebrow. "Bit late, Chat Noir. I was wondering when you were going to show up."

Chat swept into a bow. "Well, look no further, my lady," he purred, wiggling his eyebrows. "Your knight has arrived."

She snorted. "Some knight you are. Couldn't even show up in time to save me from the _horrible_ akuma." She put the back of her hand to her forehead and sighed dramatically.

Chat elbowed her. "Well, I suppose you can look after yourself now, Ladybug. Even if you _are_ tiny," he teased.

Ladybug shot him a look. "That's getting old, Chat. You're going to have to find another flaw to tease me with."

Chat gave her a flirty wink. "That's not possible, Ladybug. Apart from your height, you are the definition of perfection."

Ladybug just rolled her eyes, and strode off to comfort the akuma victim. Chat hung back, as the presence of _both_ superheroes was sometimes overwhelming for the victims. Unfortunately, as soon as Ladybug left, the paparazzi and journalists pounced. Although Ladybug was usually more than happy to give them a statement, she got touchy when the questions got personal, and refused to answer. So the media decided to target Chat.

"Chat Noir, you were very late to arrive today. Can you tell us why?" Someone shoved a microphone into the superhero's face.

"Uh, well, it can be hard to get to the akuma immediately. We do have other lives, you know," answered Chat, then wished that he'd kept his mouth shut.

"You also have a love life. What are your feelings towards Ladybug? Do you see a future with her? Do you know each other's identities? Or is there another gir-"

Suddenly, Ladybug was between Chat and the paparazzi, right up in their faces. "Hey!" she yelled, furious. "What did we say about personal questions? We have no reason to tell you _anything_ about what goes on behind the scenes. Now, shoo!" With one last threatening glare, Ladybug turned to Chat, gave him a meaningful look, and marched away. The media wasn't stupid enough to follow her. They'd just seen exactly what Ladybug could do with her fists, and weren't keen to experience it themselves.

Ladybug turned to Chat. "Look, Chat, I know we were going to pay Fu a visit, but now's really not the best time. I can meet you after sch- I mean, I'll meet you outside Fu's at three-thirty. Okay?"

Chat blinked, then gathered his wits. "Um...yeah, sure. Ladybug?"

"What?"

"You can say 'after school', you know." He smiled at her. "It's not like we don't know that we're students."

Ladybug looked a little pink beneath her mask. "Yeah, I know. But the whole identities thing, I sometimes forget what I can and can't say." She sighed, then took her yo-yo from her waist. "See you later, kitty."

"Bye, bugaboo." He grinned.

Ladybug tossed an exasperated look over her shoulder as she zipped through the air.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien and Marinette bumped into each other at school- literally. They were both rushing to class, very aware that they were late, when they collided. Both students fell to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Marinette immediately looked over to Adrien, her face full of concern. Her expression quickly changed once she realised who it was. "Oh. It's you."

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" Adrien ignored her sullen tone and got to his feet, brushing himself off and offering the girl his hand.

Marinette considered him for a second, before sniffing and helping herself up, pointedly ignoring his outstretched hand. WIth a sigh, Adrien shoved his hand back into his pocket, and bent to pick up her bag, which he handed to her. She took it gingerly, annoyed that he'd still managed to assist her.

"Do you want to walk to class together?"

Marinette glared at him, but fell into step beside the model, her silence as heavy as the book-stuffed bag on Adrien's shoulder. He pushed open the classroom door for her. "Ladies first."

She walked through, muttering something about chivalry, and took her seat beside Alya, who proceeded to give him a venomous look.

Adrien sighed. If looks could kill, he was sure that between Marinette, Alya and Ladybug, he would have been killed many times over today.

MLBMLBMLB

Ladybug waited nervously, pacing the rooftop across from Fu's. She'd said three-thirty, so technically there was still five minutes to go, but she'd wanted to transform as quickly as possible. She couldn't say why, but she did want that silly cat to show up soon.

Although Ladybug had no proof, she did have a sneaking suspicion about the steps Fu would ask them to take in order to fix whatever mess Chat had got them into. And she didn't like it. Contrary to taking weight off her shoulders, it would probably just burden her further, if Fu's solution was the one she had in mind.

The spotted heroine checked her yo-yo again. 3:28pm.

 _Please hurry, Chat Noir._

 **Wow. Yet again I find myself apologising for taking so long. I really am a slacker. Especially on weekends, it turns out. Thank you all so much for bearing with me and my takes-four-days-to-update ways. Thank you for all your incredible reviews, too! I absolutely love them, and I'm really sorry that I can't reply to them, but these days, I'm absolutely bushed on a daily basis. Anyway, see you in the next chapter!**


	31. Chapter 31

Chat Noir arrived three minutes late, much to his partner's annoyance. He couldn't really see what the big deal was, but let Ladybug scold him, figuring that she was just stressed.

Ladybug finished berating him quickly. "Ready, Chat?" he asked.

"Always, my lady."

They dropped onto street level, and stood outside Master Fu's place, side by side. Taking deep breaths, Ladybug walked forwards and pushed open the door, motioning for Chat to walk through. Before Ladybug could do anything, Chat knocked on Fu's door.

"Come in," came a gravelly voice. The pair glanced at each other, then stepped through warily.

Master Fu knelt by the rug on the floor, resplendent in his trademark Hawaiian shirt that was as red as Ladybug's suit. A cup of tea st beside him, steam rising from it, and Wayzz floated around his head, looking surprisingly awake for once.

"Ah, the brave guardians of Paris," he said with a smile. "Come, sit."

They obeyed, kneeling awkwardly across from him. He smiled at them. "This is not just a social trip, yes?"

Ladybug glanced at Chat, then jumped in. "You're right, this isn't a social visit. We have some... _matters_ to talk to you about."

"What kind of matters?"

Ladybug gave Chat a meaningful look, widening her eyes and jerking her head towards Fu. He got the message. "Uh, yeah. It's kind of hard to explain, but my kwami told me that we needed to see you. He said that I'd hurt Ladybug badly, and we needed you to step in before someone got akumatized." He glanced at Ladybug. "Thankfully, that hasn't happened yet, but we still need your guidance."

Fu stroked his chin. "I see," he muttered to himself. He turned to the superheroes. "Before I do anything, I have to speak with your kwamis. Ladybug, is Tikki willing to communicate through you, or do you need to drop your transformation?"

Ladybug concentrated hard, mentally reaching out to her kwami. _Tikki?_

 _Yes, Marinette?_

 _Can you talk with Master Fu through me, or do I have to detransform?_

 _There are things we need to discuss that you can't know about..yet. We'll have to detransform._

Ladybug looked up at Fu. "She says she has to speak with you directly, and in private," she answered.

The old man nodded. "Very well. I will assume that Plagg requires the same thing. Chat, will you please go into the next room? Wayzz will keep an eye on you."

Chat frowned. "Am I not trustworthy?"

Master Fu shook his head. "It is not that, my boy. I simply know the personality of a Chat Noir well...and your temptations." He raised an eyebrow, and Chat wondered if Fu somehow knew about that night a year ago, after they'd fought Lady Wifi, when Ladybug had gone into a room to transform, leaving the door slightly open. Closing that door had been one of the hardest things he'd had to do.

Ladybug was looking at him quizzically. Chat cleared his throat and nodded. "I'll go." He left the room with Wayzz, tossing a longing look at Ladybug before he closed the door on her- again.

MLBMLBMLB

Ladybug waited until the door had clicked shut before dropping her transformation. "Tikki, spots off," she muttered, and a rosy glow flashed down her body, stripping her of her disguise and leaving her in the sweater and jeans she'd been wearing earlier. Tikki tumbled out of her earrings, gasping and squeaking.

"How are you, Tikki?" asked Fu, smiling at the little creature.

She shook out her tiny limbs. "I'm fine, thank you. Marinette has gotten much better at keeping her emotions in check, though there have been some close calls." She frowned at her chosen, who shrugged.

"I'm glad to hear that you are in good health, Tikki," replied the guardian. "But Marinette, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave the room while I discuss matters with Tikki. Can you wait in the hallway?"

"Yes, sir." Marinette left the room, shutting the door with a click and sinking to the floor, her back pressed against the wall. Although she could have easily pressed her ear to the door, the girl made no attempt to listen in on the conversation. She tipped her head back, staring at the ceiling, and sighed. She just wanted this to be over. Wasn't it enough that she had to deal with all the issues in her normal life? Did the job of a superhero really have to be so _hard_?

Most of the Parisians who watched Ladybug and Chat Noir, and dreamed of being like them, had no idea how difficult it was. They thought it was just dressing up in a skin-tight suit, having cool powers and defeating the bad guy. They didn't see what went on behind the scenes; trauma and occasionally pain from vicious akumas; constant patrol, so they never let their guard down; immense pressure to always save the day and never mess up; and having to constantly ward off akumas, because if one of the duo were akumatized, Paris would almost surely be doomed.

As Marinette thought this all out, the door creaked open, and Master Fu peered out, followed by Tikki. "Marinette, I've finished talking with Tikki. She has told me….interesting things." He glanced at the kwami, who gave nothing away. "However, I must talk to Chat Noir's kwami now," he continued. "Transform, then follow me, please."

Marinette nodded. "Tikki, spots on!" she cried, gasping as she felt the kwami's power enter her earrings and gush through her. The suit covered her, and Ladybug stood in Master Fu's hallway.

He smiled. "Very good. Now, come with me." The superheroine followed the old man down the corridor, stopping outside another door.

"Chat Noir, are you still transformed?" called Fu.

There was a scuffling sound from inside. "Uh….yeah?"

"Can you step outside, then?"

The door was pushed open, and a sheepish Chat Noir stepped out. He grinned at Ladybug, who smiled in return.

"Chat Noir, please come with me. Ladybug, stay in here. Wayzz will watch over you." He turned to Chat. "See, you're _both_ untrustworthy."

Ladybug's mouth fell open, and she gave the Guardian an indignant look. He burst into peals of laughter. "Only joking. Don't glare at me so, my dear." He and Chat left, and Ladybug ducked inside the room, firmly closing the door.

MLBMLBMLB

Several minutes later, Ladybug and Chat Noir both sat inside Master Fu's main room. He considered them, sipping his tea as Wayzz perched on his shoulder.

"I have spoken with your kwamis, and I have come to a conclusion," he began, stirring his tea. "Chat Noir has indeed made a series of serious mistakes, although I am sure that the consequences didn't seem so grave when he made them. I would like to explain them to you, Ladybug, and to _you_ , Chat Noir, as even you don't know the extent of what you've done. However, I cannot. It is impossible to do so….unless we take certain _measures_." He gave them both a meaningful look, and Ladybug felt her heart begin to pound.

"What kind of measures?" she asked carefully, trying to control her breathing.

"Measures that I will tell you about now," replied Fu. "In private," he added. "Ladybug, we'll let Chat Noir go first this time. If you would please wait outside?" He snapped his fingers at Wayzz, who followed Ladybug out, much to her distaste. She liked Wayzz but was annoyed that Master Fu didn't trust her not to listen in.

She pulled out her yo-yo and began to check up on the Ladyblog, scrolling leisurely through the pages. Wayzz nestled on her shoulder, tucking himself under her pigtail and settling down for a nap. Ladybug smiled slightly as she continued to read. There was a new message, a repeat of the one Alya had put up a week ago, asking Ladybug and Chat Noir to attend the Valentine's Dance. Ladybug sighed. She'd barely even thought about that invitation. She didn't even know if she'd go to the dance. Maybe Ladybug would discuss it with Chat later.

The spotted heroine continued to flick through photographs of herself and her partner, articles about the two, conspiracy theories and fan art of the pair. She had to smile at a crayon scribble of the duo, done by a four-year-old girl by the name of Chantelle.

Someone tapped her shoulder, and Ladybug squeaked and fumbled with her yo-yo, turning around carefully, so as not to upset Wayzz, who somehow had not woken. Master Fu looked down at her.

"Ready, Ladybug?"

She swallowed, tucking away her yo-yo. "I suppose," she managed, trying to sound nonchalant, but unable to ignore the huge lump in her throat that had much to do with her suspicion of what Fu would ask her.

When she stepped into the room, she was surprised to find it empty. She hadn't noticed Chat leave, but perhaps that had been Fu's preference. Ladybug knelt opposite Fu, tucking her legs beneath her. Wayzz continued to rest on the shoulder.

The old man poured a steaming cup of tea from his china teapot and offered it to the superheroine. She gratefully accepted, cupping the mug in her gloved hands.

"You know what I'm going to ask you," said the old man, watching her carefully. It was a statement, not a question.

Ladybug gulped. "I...no. I don't know," she replied truthfully. When Fu raised his grey eyebrow, she continued. "But I do have a suspicion. And….I don't really like the idea," she admitted.

Fu nodded, as though he'd been expecting her reply. "Well, you may be wrong in your thinking. Or you may be right. We shall see." He took another sip of his tea, and Ladybug wondered if it would ever run out.

She took a deep breath. "I hope I'm wrong. But go ahead." She set down her cup and clasped her hands together, squeezing tightly.

Master Fu met her eyes. "Ladybug, holder of the Ladybug Miraculous and the power of creation and good luck, would you be willing to share your identity with your partner, and in turn receive knowledge of Chat Noir's identity?"

Ladybug' heart stopped momentarily as the weight of Fu's words crashed down on her. So she _had_ been right. Now what was she going to do?

The heroine closed her eyes, trying to breathe deeply. Her brain was screaming, _Say no! Say no!_ She consulted Tikki.

 _Tikki, help!_

 _Marinette… this is a decision that only you can make._

 _I'm not asking you to. I'm only asking for advice._

There was a brief silence as Tikki deliberated her answer. _I think you should do it._

 _Do I know him?_

Another silence, longer this time. _Does it matter?_

 _Yes, it does,_ insisted Ladybug. _Do I, or not?_

Tikki didn't answer, which was practically an answer in itself.

 _See, this is why. We know each other, and it could ruin our relationship. What if I hate him? What if he hates me?_

 _Is that your only reason?_

Ladybug squeezed her eyes, scrunching up her face. _No. My main reason is...well, it's one more may that Hawkmoth could find out, isn't it? One more chance that my family and friends could be targeted. I don't want that to happen, Tikki, it's my worst fear._

 _I think you should do it. But listen to your heart, Marinette._

Ladybug opened her eyes. Master Fu was again drinking tea. He lowered his cup to look at her. "Have you made your decision?" he asked gently.

Ladybug breathed in. Did she really want this?

"Yes, I have made my decision."

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir dug his claws into the palm of his hand, curling his fingers and bouncing excitedly on his toes. He flashed huge grins and Ladybug, who was standing in silence, head bowed and eyes downcast like there was a very interesting bug on her foot.

Master Fu cleared his throat. "Ladybug, Chat Noir. I have asked you both the same question, and have come to a decision based on your answers. And a very difficult decision it was indeed." He held their gaze for a moment, though it was difficult. Chat looked at him eagerly, but Ladybug kept looking down, eventually peeking up through her midnight fringe.

"One of you said that you would be willing to reveal your identities."

Ladybug shrunk away, determined not to look at Chat, or to see the hopeful expression on his face turn crumpled and sad.

"The other said that said they would not be willing to unmask themselves." Fu let his words hang in the air, and Ladybug wondered if he was secretly enjoying the drama, despite the seriousness of both the situation and his expression.

Ladybug couldn't look at her partner, though she had heard his wounded gasp. She felt a deep blush of shame spread across her face, although she didn't regret her decision. She regretted the impact it would have on others.

Namely, Chat Noir and their partnership.

 **Hi guys! Oh my gosh, this chapter was so fun to write! Goodbye, writer's block! I hope you liked it, and as always, thank you to those legends who favourited/ followed/ reviewed this story! See you next time!**


	32. Chapter 32

Neither of them showed up for patrol on Friday night.

Tikki and Plagg watched sadly as their chosens dragged themselves around their daily lives. Adrien tipped his ink over his work during his Chinese lesson as he realized that Ladybug had no interest in him. Marinette collapsed at the sewing machine, shoulders shaking when she realized that she would never swirl around the dance floor in a ball gown with a certain blonde.

The kwamis decided to step in.

They couldn't communicate when they were far apart, but they were clever, and they had known each other for more years than they cared to count. So while Adrien was at his fencing lesson, and while Marinette was scanning over her notes, Tikki and Plagg met up.

Plagg knew she was coming. While they couldn't communicate from a distance, they _could_ sense when their counterpart was nearby. So when Tikki flew through Adrien's locker to find Plagg sitting on a sports bag, eating cheese, neither of them was surprised.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Tikki, as Plagg munched his beloved Camembert. "They _have_ to reveal their identities. The risk of them getting akumatized is growing by the day."

"Yeah," said Plagg through a mouthful of cheese. "I mean, Adrien is used to be disappointed, what with his dad being control-freak-in-chief, but this one hit him pretty hard. I don't want to sound all sappy, but he really does love her, Tikki."

"And she really loves him." Tikki groaned. "Ugh, this is so _frustrating_."

"Uh-huh." Plagg bit into his cheese. "I guess Adrien's plan failed."

"What plan?" demanded Tikki, her already large eyes growing wider.

"Oh." Plagg finished chewing before answering. "Okay. So when Adrien found out that Ladybug was in love with him, he was super excited. And then he was like, 'Hang on. Why is she in love with Adrien and not Chat Noir? Chat Noir is when I get to be _me_.' He kind of got jealous of himself, you know-" Plagg suddenly stopped. "They're coming!" he hissed. "Quick, get going before Adrien sees you in here!"

Tikki didn't need to be asked twice, and shot through the cool metal of the locker, zooming back to Marinette, who, in her despair, hadn't even noticed Tikki's absence.

MLBMLBMLB

On Saturday morning, Tikki decided it was time for her and Marinette to have a nice chat. The girl didn't agree.

"Tikki," she moaned, clutching her pillow over her face and muffling her voice, "I just want to sleep."

"No, Marinette." Tikki was firm. "This is extremely important. Come on, get up."

"Do I have to get up?" the girl asked. "Can't I just stay in bed and listen?"

Tikki rubbed her temples. " _Fine_. But you need to sit up and look at me."

Marinette did as her kwami asked and sat up, holding her pillow tightly and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What is it, Tikki?"

"It's about the choice you made yesterday," replied Tikki.

"Tikki, I don't regret it. I'm going to stand by my decision."

Tikki could tell by Marinette's voice that she wasn't entirely sure. "Marinette, why did you say no?" she asked gently.

Marinette buried her face in her hands, and her dark locks spilled over her cupped hands. "Because I don't want to put my family or friends at risk. Because it feels safer if no one knows. Because I know Chat Noir, somehow, and it could stuff up our partnership. I _like_ our chemistry. I don't want to change it."

Tikki bit her lip. "Marinette, you know that Chat Noir is facing the same risks that you are, right? But he was still willing to reveal himself."

"Because-because he loves me, goddamnit!" Marinette's shoulders shook.

"No crying, Marinette," said Tikki sternly. "Look at me."

Marinette raised her head tearfully.

"Chat Noir loves you, yes?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"And you loved Adrien, correct?"

Marinette's eyes filled with tears. "Yes."

"And how did it feel when Adrien rejected you?"

"Like-like the world would end."

"Do you think Chat Noir is feeling that, too?"

"Y-yes. Oh god, Tikki, I stuffed up."

"Marinette, what's the worst that could happen?" asked Tikki, rubbing her chosen's cheek.

Marinette choked back a sob. "What if it gets out? Terrible things would happen."

"Marinette." Tikki looked her chosen right in the eye, her gaze unwavering. "You _and_ Chat Noir are both on the verge of being akumatized."

Marinette's face went pale and her lips quivered slightly.

"This may be the only thing that can stop it."

"Oh, god." Marinette's face crumpled like paper and she curled her legs up beneath her. Tikki was immediately there, soothing her and stroking her silky hair.

"Shhh, Marinette, calm down. No negative emotions, remember?"

The words had no effect on the secret superhero. Tikki bit her lip, beginning to panic. She couldn't tap into her power and try to protect Marinette again. Fu had warned her of the consequences, and the possibilities haunted her dreams. Marinette needed to be happy again, to forget herself….but how?

Tikki spotted Marinette's phone on the shelf above her bed and snatched it up. She shook the girl's shoulder gently. "Marinette, sit up."

She obeyed, straightening her back and rubbing her tear-stained face. The liquid tracked down her face like silvery roads on a map.

"I'm going to call Alya. Will that help, if she comes over?"

Marinette nodded fiercely and took the phone from Tikki. Her finger hovered over the 'call' button, before moving away to quickly tap out a text. Marinette didn't want Alya to hear her tears.

Tikki watched her, waiting until she hit _send_. "DO you want to wash your face?"

"Yeah." Marinette climbed down from her loft bed and went through the trapdoor to the bathroom, where she washed her face, tidied her hair, and tried to scrub away the evidence of her tears.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien was used to plastering on a smile for the cameras, and he was used to getting away with it, too. Most of the time, if the photographer wasn't satisfied with his smile, a little bit of editing would take place, the photos would be shown to his father, and a few days later, they would be up on some billboard.

Today's shoot was different. For the first time in six years, Gabriel Agreste had shown up to one of his son's photoshoots, surprising pretty much everyone in the process. Adrien knew that his father had an eye for detail and was a complete perfectionist, but he'd never known exactly how _picky_ the designer could be. He'd already complained about a speck of dirt on Adrien's cheek, the way a scarf was arranged on Adrien's shoulders, the lack of shine on Adrien's shoes, and a strand of hair that had sprung free of its hairspray prison.

And Adrien was sick of it. What would normally be a half-hour shoot had now hit the two-hour mark. Adrien's face was sore from all the different expressions he'd been forced to wear. His hair was completely rock-hard from all the hairspray touch-ups his father had insisted on. And Adrien's temper was just about worn through from dealing with his father.

The blonde model leaned against the wall of his dressing room, covering his face with his hands. He couldn't deal with this right now. Any longer and he would completely snap. And if that happened, then Gabriel would not be lenient with him. Some privilege would be taken from Adrien, a punishment for ' _staining the Agreste name_ ' in public. Although usually he was just forced to practice his piano or go to extra fencing lessons, Adrien knew exactly what punishment his father would have in mind.

There was a sudden, harsh knock on the door. "Adrien, let's go!" called one of the make-up artists.

Adrien quickly smoothed the collar of his shirt and buttoned it up. He opened the door and walked out, straight under the scrutiny of his father.

The designer frowned. "That clashes horribly." He turned to the director of the shoot. "What were you thinking?" he barked.

The director quivered like jelly under Gabriel's icy glare. "I-I'm sorry, sir. D-d-do you have any suggestions?"

Gabriel strode over to the rack of clothes, all designed by him. He snatched up another white dress shirt, almost identical to the one Adrien was wearing, except with a slightly different cut.

He handed it to his son, who took it gingerly. "Change," commanded Gabriel. When the model turned to go back to his dressing room, the designer stopped him. "Don't be ridiculous, Adrien," he snapped. "Change here."

Adrien gulped, but he knew that he had no choice. He carefully began to unbutton the shirt, slipping off the sleeves and immediately throwing on the one his father had given him.

He wasn't fast enough.

Gabriel grabbed Adrien's arm, stopping him from buttoning his shirt. "What's that?"

"Excuse me, Father?" Adrien hoped that something would happen; a light exploding, something falling. Even an akuma attack. But everyone and everything had gone still, watching Adrien and Gabriel.

"Those bruises on your back."

Adrien twisted around, trying to buy time while he scrambled for an excuse. "Well...uh...we do PE at school, father, and I ran back into one of the posts while we were playing basketball." He tried to look convincing. "It's really nothing."

Gabriel studied him for a second, before accepting the story. "Do not do it again, Adrien. If you have bruises when summer comes around, you will be hearing from me." He nodded at the director. "Carry on. I have places to be." Gabriel Agreste strode away, without even saying goodbye.

Adrien let out the breath he'd been holding. The bruises, of course, had been the result of a rough akuma attack. No way was Adrien going to tell his father _that._

MLBMLBMLB

Two bowls of popcorn and one comedy movie later, Marinette was feeling much better. Alya always knew how to cheer Marinette up. She'd taken one look at the girl's puffy, red eyes and leaped into action, organizing a movie and some treats.

As the credits began to roll, Alya turned to Marinette, who was nibbling on a handful of buttery popcorn. "So, girl, feeling better?"

Marinette nodded, smiling at her friend. "Definitely. Thank you so much."

Alya grinned, waving her hand dismissively. "Ah, what are friends for? It was fun. But now, serious stuff. Brace yourself." She raised her eyebrows at Marinette. "What's the matter, girl? Am I allowed to know?"

Marinette swallowed. "I guess I just...made some mistakes," she confessed. "And then the dance is in five, no, _four_ days and I don't know if I should go without a partner."

Alya stared at her for a minute, cogs turning. Finally, she leaped off the couch and beckoned for Marinette to follow her, leading her up the stairs to the bluenette's room.

The blogger flicked the light switch, and the shadows disappeared. Both girls were immediately drawn to stare at Marinette's unfinished gown, which hung on her mannequin, glittering like the night sky. Alya walked over to it, her sneakers tapping the floorboards.

"You going to finish it, or not?"

Marinette sighed. "Alya, you know it's totally lame to go to the dance without a partner. What's the point?"

Alya rolled her eyes. "It is _not_ lame to go alone. Besides, you'll just hang with us. We can all go as a group, you know."

"I don't want to be a third wheel," argued Marinette. "This is your special night with Nino. I'm not going to spoil it for you."

"Pur- _lease_ , Marinette. It's only special because we get to dress up. Valentine's Day is just some random day that is _apparently_ all romantic. To be perfectly honest, I never saw the point. Nino and I could dress up and go dancing any time we like. _Anyone_ could. And Marinette, you'll look _bomb_ in that dress. How long did it take you?"

"A month or two."

"Exactly. Are you really going to let all your hard work go to waste? I'll help you finish the dress, girl. And then you're going to come to the dance, and Adrien's gonna feel like the stupidest dude in the city. Deal?"

Marinette began to smile. "Deal."

 **Welp, another chapter done. And I took a while to update again. Sorry, guys. At this point, I'm trying to work out what's going to happen. Don't worry, I have a rough plan, but I'm sort of just fine-tuning it. As always, thanks for reading!**


	33. Chapter 33

Alya knew that Marinette was talented, but she'd never realized the full extent of her best friend's skill. Marinette's fingers absolutely flew, guiding the fabric through her sewing machine, pecking away with her needle, mouth full of pins and eyes full of determination.

Alya stayed an hour past her nightly curfew, but it was worth it. By the time the clock struck nine, there was a fabulous, sparkling gown in front of the two girls. They stepped back to admire their handiwork. Alya hugged the designer.

"Wow, Marinette, what a star! The dress is _incredible_ ," said Alya warmly. Marinette didn't reply, just leaned against her best friend, closing her eyes and yawning. Alya laughed. "I reckon you need sleep, girl. I'd better be heading back before Mama calls the cops." She smiled and squeezed Marinette's hand. "Good job, girl." She walked down the stairs, disappearing from view. Marinette waited until she was gone before changing into her pajamas and falling into bed.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien spun in his desk chair, staring at the screen in front of him. A pen hung out of his mouth, and his blonde locks were dishevelled. Plagg hovered above him, for once not stuffing his greedy face.

"Come on, Adrien," whined the kwami. "This is so _boring_. Can't we do something?"

"What do you suggest?" Adrien's eyes didn't leave the computer display.

Plagg huffed. "Look around you! We have foosball, we have arcade machines, we have rock-climbing, we have basketball….everything we could possibly need!"

"That's debatable," muttered Adrien, scrolling with his mouse.

He felt something collide with the back of his head. "Oh, can it, Romeo," said Plagg dismissively, preparing to toss another ping-pong ball at his chosen. "We all know you're head-over-heels for Ladybug, but she rejected you, broke your heart, blah blah blah. Honestly, you should just forget about her, and have some fun!"

Adrien glared at his kwami, rubbing the back of his head. "Great advice, Plagg. God, can't you just leave me _alone_?" He turned back to the Ladyblog.

Another ping-pong ball hit him. "Nope!" said Plagg cheerily. "I'm your kwami, so you're stuck with me. Now, foosball tournament? Winner takes all!"

"I don't want cheese, Plagg."

Plagg pouted. "Aw, come on! I'll tell you Ladybug's identity," he said teasingly, before clapping a tiny hand over his mouth and looking horrified.

Adrien pounced immediately. 'What did you say?" he asked, a hungry gleam in his eyes.

Plagg waved his arms like windscreen wipers on a rainy day. "Nothing! I said nothing!"

Adrien raised his eyebrow. "That's not what I heard."

Plagg chuckled nervously. "Uhh….how strange!"

"It sounded like you said that you'd tell me Ladybug's identity."

"No, I didn't!" said Plagg defensively. "You've got it all wrong."

"Oh, did I?" Adrien gave his kwami a truly evil smile. "Well, prepare yourself, Plagg. Winner takes all, remember?"

Plagg shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Even if you win, my lips are sealed."

The model shrugged. "That could change." He strolled leisurely over to the foosball table and rested his elbows on the edge, cupping his face with his hands. "Ready to be beaten?"

Plagg reluctantly floated over, wondering what in the world he'd gotten himself into.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette wiped her hands on her apron, leaving floury smudges. She pulled out her hair tie and redid her simple ponytail, fixing the strands that had fallen out. With a final twist of her wrist, she secured the tie and turned to face the next customer, painting her practiced smile on. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Well, for starters, you could have left that ponytail in. The strands were absolutely _perfect._ "

Marinette blinked. "Alya? Is that you?" she asked, peering at the girl, who was sporting oversized sunglasses and a bright headscarf.

"Damn, you caught me." The blogger pulled off the scarf with a flourish and perched her shades on top of her head, beaming.

Marinette giggled and shook her head, ushering her grinning friend behind the counter. "Get back there, you're holding up the line," she instructed. As Alya slipped behind her, the bluenette flashed her smile at the next client- except this time, it wasn't just put on for show. Her smile was genuine.

Once the shop had emptied, Marinette took a breather, stepping away from the counter and ducking into the kitchen itself to find Alya. Her friend was busy tying up an apron, her ombre waves knotted into a high bun. She glanced up when Marinette entered.

"What are you doing here, Alya? You only saw me yesterday," said Marinette, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

Alya smiled mischievously. "A little bird told me that you were manning the bakery alone. I figured you could use a hand."

Marinette put her hand on her hip. "Well, thanks, Alya. Who was the 'little bird'?"

"I bumped into your parents while I was on Principale Avenue. They mentioned that they were visiting an old friend and that you were down here. No way was I going to let you fight the lunch hour rush on your own."

Marinette hugged her friend tightly. "You're the best, Alya!"

Alya nodded. "And don't you forget it."

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien gritted his toothpaste-commercial teeth and grabbed the rubber handle. With an expert flick of the wrist, he sent the tiny plastic ball spiralling into Plagg's goal.

"Haha! Who's the loser now, Plagg?" Adrien gave his kwami a triumphant grin and slid the marker up to the '10' on the scoreboard. "Winner winner chicken dinner!"

Plagg moaned loudly and flopped onto the foosball table. "Awww," he complained. "It was only one goal!"

Adrien shrugged. "A deal's a deal, Plagg! You'd better start talking."

Plagg stuck out his chin. "No way, Jose! I'm not saying a single word. I never made that deal. _You_ did."

"Come on, Plagg," coaxed Adrien. "Think of all the Camembert…. Delicious, soft, gooey Camembert…"

Plagg's mouth fell open. "Mmmm…" he murmured. "Camembert…" His bright eyes suddenly widened and he shook himself out of his trance. "Nice try, pretty boy," he told a disappointed Adrien. "But I can't be persuaded quite so easily."

"Are you sure?" Adrien put his hand to his pocket. "What if I showed you….this?" He whipped out a small wheel of the soft cheese, glinting in its foil. The little kwami gasped as he read the packaging.

"No way! You got my favourite?" He zoomed over to snatch the dairy product, but Adrien pulled it away.

"Not so fast, my friend. First, you've gotta tell me Ladybug's true identity."

Plagg looked longingly at the cheese, which shone temptingly. "No."

"Come on, Plagg. Just two little words…"

Plagg glared at him. "I could report you to Master Fu for this, you know!"

Adrien simply shrugged. "You could….but then you'd never get this delicious wheel of cheese. Just think, Plagg."

Plagg covered his ears and zipped away, wailing. Adrien chased after him, brandishing the cheese in front of him. "You know you want it, Plagg! Just give in!"

MLBMLBMLB

Tikki peeked out from behind the cookie tin, watching the two girls. Alya was ringing up purchases as Marinette slid trays out of the oven. The bakery was warm and bustling with customers. The two girls would be occupied for at least another hour, especially as it was just half-past eleven.

Checking that the coast was clear, Tikki zoomed out of her hiding place and flew through the open window above her. She shivered slightly in the cool Parisian air, before remembering her mission. Glancing around quickly, she began to fly high above the city, so that any civilians would think she was just a brightly coloured bird.

Several minutes later, the little kwami came to a halt outside a small, familiar house, its door painted with Chinese symbols. Gliding over to the doorbell, Tikki pressed the button down, hearing the chimes echo through the building. Footsteps shuffled inside before the door cracked open and a wrinkled face peered through.

"Master Fu!" cried Tikki. "I must speak with you. It's urgent."

The old man glanced around. "Is Marinette with you?"

Tikki shook her head. "No. She can't know about it yet. I need your advice."

Master Fu nodded gravely and opened the door wider. "Very well. Come through."

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette flipped the sign on the door to _CLOSED_ , shooting an apologetic smile at an approaching couple before slipping back into the warm glow of the quiet bakery. The hustle and bustle of the evening customers was gone, but the scents of fresh bread and pastries lingered. Marinette hung her apron up and wiped the counter, and was halfway up the stairs when she remembered that she had forgotten to lock up. Jogging back to the door, she reached out to lock it. Once she was satisfied that all the windows were closed, Marinette called out. "Tikki?"

There was no reply. Marinette's forehead creased. "Tikki?" she tried again, her blue eyes scanning the bakery for her little friend. Still, there was no squeaky voice calling back to her.

Marinette decided to try one more time. "Tikki?" she yelled. "Are you here?"

There was a tiny tapping noise. The bluenette glanced around frantically at the door and windows. She spotted a little red blur outside on the fogged-up kitchen windows and flung it open. Tikki fell into her hands, shuddering.

Marinette cupped her tightly and held the kwami to her chest in an effort to keep her warm. "Oh, god. Hang on." The girl raced upstairs into the Dupain-Cheng apartment, and quickly flicked the kettle to boil, nestling her freezing kwami into a pile of blankets and pillows. She brought Tikki closer to the heater, stroking her forehead gently. "Tikki?" she whispered, gazing at the little creature. "Are you okay?"

Deep blue eyes fluttered open, and Marinette's tense shoulders relaxed. "M-Marinette," croaked the kwami. "I'm fine…."

Marinette ran into the other room to prepare some coffee. She brought it back in a small cup and handed it to her kwami. "Where were you?"

Tikki sipped the hot drink gratefully. "I was at Master Fu's."

Marinette felt her heart clench. "What?"

"I was at Master Fu's," repeated Tikki. "It's for your own good, Marinette."

"B-b-but…" Marinette eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "I-I.."

"Marinette." Tikki left her bundle of blankets to hover in front of Marinette's face, crossing her tiny arms. "Yesterday, you seemed to regret your decision. Have you changed your mind?"

Marinette wiped her eyes furiously and shrugged. "I don't know."

"See, this is why it's for your own good. You're too torn between options to ever make a choice. As a kwami, I'm _supposed_ to stand by your decisions. But in this case, I just can't. Hawkmoth is _this close_ to taking control of the Miraculous." Tikki raised her palms and put them together until they were almost but not quite touching. "I have to do everything in my power to stop that from happening. Even if it means making important choices for you." She took a deep breath. "You and Chat Noir are going to meet each other at Fu's house tomorrow night. I'm sorry, Marinette. I really am."

Marinette simply stood there, mouth hanging open, staring at her kwami. After a second, she composed herself. "Don't worry, Tikki. I forgive you."

The kwami sighed happily. "Good."

"Does Chat Noir know?"

Tikki looked guilty. "Ahh..no. I was actually going to tell him now."

Marinette nearly shook her head off. "No _way_ are you going out again. You'll freeze to death!"

"What do you suggest?"

"I'll transform, and call him," decided Marinette.

Tikki's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Hopefully, he won't be transformed, and then I can just leave a voice message," replied the girl. "Ready, Tikki?"

"Absolutely!" squeaked Tikki.

"Tikki, spots on!"

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien was mad at Plagg. Really mad. The kwami was refusing to tell him a single thing about Ladybug, and none of Adrien's strategies were working. So he'd transformed, fully aware that Plagg detested being sucked into Adrien's ring.

After all the bright green flashes were over, Chat Noir had stood in his room, unsure of what to do. He'd transformed purely to annoy Plagg. It was bitterly cold outside, but Chat doubted it would go down well if Nathalie or his father came in and found a superhero standing in Adrien's bedroom.

He opened the window and jumped out, careful to close it. He hadn't gone very far when his baton began to buzz and flash. He landed on the nearest rooftop and flipped it open. There was an image of Ladybug on the screen. Frowning, Chat Noir's clawed finger hovered over the 'decline' button. He didn't want to speak to Ladybug. But if she was calling him at this time, it must be important. With a sigh, he hit 'accept'. A few seconds later, his partner's face had filled the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Ladybug," he replied, his voice expressionless. Ladybug's face fell slightly.

"I, uh, I'm calling to tell you that we have an appointment at Master Fu's tomorrow at four."

"A.m or p.m?"

Ladybug glared at him. "Haha, very funny. P.m, of course."

Chat nodded curtly. "Thanks for telling me. Bye." He slammed the baton back to normal, just catching the hurt look on his partner's face. Shaking his head, he reflected on what he'd just done.

Chat Noir wished he could turn back time, and do that call again.

 **Ughh. Once again, I'm sorry that it took so long to update. I missed out on school twice last week, due to inter-school tournaments, which meant that I got a stack of homework (which I still haven't done). I'll try to be more consistent, and thanks for tolerating me.**


	34. Chapter 34

Marinette pressed her fingernails into her palm, feeling pinpricks of pain as her nails dug into old sores. It was a habit that she'd had for years, and although Marinette knew that she ought to quit, she just couldn't. The slight pain distracted her, and so she continued.

The clock above Ms. Bustier's head ticked on, and Marinette's blue eyes followed the second hand as it travelled. She knew she should have been paying attention to her teacher, as Ms. Bustier was talking about the Valentine's Dance, but she simply couldn't. Her stomach felt like it would explode with nerves, as though every akuma she'd every purified was fluttering around inside her.

"Marinette? Do you have anything to add?" Ms. Bustier's voice crashed through the girl's thoughts.

Marinette gulped and tried to smile at her teacher. "Um, no?"

The teacher studied her for a second. "Are you sure? As our resident fashion designer, I'd have thought you might have some advice."

"Uhhh…" Marinette glanced around wildly. "I think I might have misheard your first question, miss. Could you please repeat it?"

Ms. Bustier nodded. "Yes, of course. Do you have anything to add about the addition to the evening's dress code, the masks?"

"Oh! Right. Um, I guess don't go too overboard, the masks are meant to cover just half of your face. They're not compulsory, it's just a fun addition, so if you don't have one, don't panic…" Marinette trailed off as realization struck her. _She didn't have a mask._ "Uh, yeah, that's it," she finished, trying not to panic. How was she meant to get a mask by _Wednesday_?

"Very well. Alya, you are part of the committee too, yes?"

"Yes, miss."

"Anything to add?"

Alya cleared her throat and straightened her glasses. "Um, yeah. I contacted Ladybug and Chat Noir via my blog, but I haven't actually spoken to them about it. So that's kind of hanging in the air at the moment, but at this stage, I doubt they'll come." She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you guys. But I promise to try and get in touch with them."

Marinette patted her friend's hand, who looked upset. "Don't worry, Alya. I'm sure we'll work something out."

Alya smiled. "Thanks," she whispered.

Up the front, Ms. Bustier kept talking. "Although Ladybug and Chat Noir may not be in attendance, there is no reason that you shouldn't. I'm well aware that this is considered a 'couples' dance, but that cannot be further from the truth. Anyone and everyone can attend, partner or not. And I will be _very_ disappointed if I hear of any teasing or unkindness at the event." Her eyes lingered on Chloe, who simply sniffed and flipped her ponytail. "Understand?"

The class nodded and chorused "Yes, miss." Their auburn-haired teacher smiled at them, her sunny nature returning. "Excellent. Now, you may begin to pack up, but please don't leave the room until the bell goes." She moved to her desk, and the classroom began to buzz with chatter.

Alya turned to Marinette, frowning. "Do you have a mask, girl?" she asked. "I didn't see one when I was at your house."

"Oh...yes, I've got it all under control," said Marinette with a beam.

"Great! So you're all set," chirped the blogger.

Marinette grinned awkwardly. "Uh-huh, totally!"

Alya yawned. "Well, I'll be busy tracking down a pair of superheroes. It's gonna be a rush to finish everything….homework, my dress and mask, today's Ladyblog update…."

"Haven't you gotten your outfit ready yet?" Marinette felt a flash of concern for her friend.

Alya simply shrugged. "I was planning to drop by a second-hand store or borrow something from Mama. But I have got my mask," she added hastily, seeing her friend's open mouth.

Marinette slowly shook her head, closing her mouth. "Alya, this is bad."

Alya bit her lip. "You think so?"

Marinette nodded furiously. "Of course! It's a good idea, going to a thrift store, but the ones in this area don't have a lot in terms of formal dresses. You'd have to go to the ones on the other side of the city."

Alya went pale. "I can't do that! _None_ of Ladybug and Chat Noir's usual places are in that area!"

Marinette put her hand on her best friend's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Calm down, Alya," she soothed. "Do you want me to pick out a dress for you? I could head down there after this thing I've got…"

Alya's face lit up. "Really? Would you do that? Thanks, Marinette!" She crushed the bluenette in a hug.

Marinette laughed, patting the blogger's back. "I'm happy to do it. But I'll need a photo of your mask, and I'll probably text you quite a bit to get your opinion. Would you mind?"

"Not at all. You're the best, M."

Marinette shrugged. "I owe you for helping me out so much on the weekend."

"What are friends for?"

The bell trilled suddenly, earning whoops from some of the girls' classmates. People began to stream towards the door, and Alya joined the flow, waving at Marinette. "I'll see you later, girl! Love you!" She slipped out the door and was gone.

Marinette hiked her bag up onto her shoulder and smoothed her jacket. With a quick glance at her phone, she determined that she had about twenty-five minutes before she needed to transform. That gave her enough time to give her dress a once-over, and research some ideas for Alya's dress. She was thinking of a kind of burnt-orangey colour but wanted to have a definite idea of what colour she wanted. She also needed to know what Alya's mask looked like. The girl fired off a quick text to her friend, before stowing her phone in her pocket and leaving the room.

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir paced outside Master Fu's. Ladybug was due in another minute, but he'd been there for at least ten, just walking up and down the rooftops. He'd gotten a few strange looks from people, but not too many, as it wasn't a busy place.

He was so confused, a congealed mess of emotions. Hurt and angry at Ladybug, because she was just so _stubborn_ about her identity. Anger at himself, for taking his father's commands so meekly. If he'd been smarter or stronger, he would have told his father that he did _not_ want to go to the dance with Chloe. Angry and upset that his beautifully thought-out plan had failed, and come to this horrible situation. Mostly, he was just angry.

There was a slight thud behind him, and Chat Noir turned, knowing exactly what to expect. Ladybug stood there, eyes downcast, nervously wrapping the string of her yo-yo around her gloved fingers.

Chat nodded to her. "Good afternoon, my la-" He caught himself just in time, remembering bitterly that his partner had no interest in being his lady.

Ladybug looked stung. She brushed at her fringe and tucked her yo-yo away. "So, um, how have you been?" Her voice wobbled slightly.

Chat said nothing, just jumped off the building and strode purposefully over to Master Fu's place, not once glancing back. He marched into the main room, startling the old man and his kwami, who squeaked and attempted to hide behind his master.

Master Fu got to his feet, setting down his cup of tea. "Ah, Chat Noir. I see you got Tikki's message. Is Ladyb-"

Chat Noir's partner appeared beside him. She put her hands on her hips, and Chat had to force himself not to stare at the curve of her waist. _Stop it, Chat,_ he scolded himself. _It's never gonna happen. She made that clear._

Ladybug glared at him, her bright eyes contrasting beautifully with the red of her mask. "Nice conversation, Chat Noir. Really _pleasant_."

The leather-clad hero glared right back at her. "Yeah, well, at least Paris' safety is more important to me than my secret identity," he snapped.

Ladybug's jaw dropped, then her eyes blazed. "How dare you? You have _no idea_ what I'm going through right now, you self-centered alley cat. And from what I've heard, it's your fault!"

"Oh yeah? Well, at least _I_ have a sense of duty, unlike you!" Chat shot back. " _You_ never showed up for patrol on Friday!" He knew that this was way more extreme than their usual banter, but couldn't stop himself.

Ladybug's face flamed red. "You- you bloody hypocrite! Neither did you!"

Chat opened his mouth to make a withering retort but was cut off by Master Fu, who stepped in between the two fuming heroes. "Silence, both of you!" he yelled. "You're arguing like toddlers. Accusations and insults will get us nowhere. Now, please take a seat."

Ladybug marched to the center of the room and knelt, refusing to look at her partner. Chat Noir took his place, as far away from Ladybug as possible. Master Fu rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Sit near each other and be civil. Surely you can do that."

Reluctantly, Chat shifted closer to the old man and the young girl. Master Fu nodded. "Very well. Now, the last time you were here, I introduced the idea of the two of you revealing your civilian forms to each other." He considered his next words carefully. "One of you was, ah, _opposed_ to this."

Chat shot Ladybug a glare. She ignored him.

"But Ladybug's kwami, Tikki, visited me yesterday. Apparently, Ladybug regretted her decision."

Chat was thunderstruck. Had he heard the old man correctly?

"So I organized this, to give the pair of you another chance. This is, of course, the best way to prevent either of you being akumatized. Although it may take a while to get used to it, and one of you may come out of it with some significant bruises, I assure you it will be for the best."

"'Significant bruising'?" repeated Chat suspiciously. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Fu winced. "Once the depth of the issues comes to light, one of you may become rather… _frustrated_."

"Who?" demanded Ladybug. But Master Fu shook his head.

"I cannot say yet. Now, Ladybug...do you wish to go through with this?"

Ladybug closed her eyes and thought long and hard. Contrary to what Cat had said, she _did_ care about Paris' safety. More so than she cared about Chat knowing her identity.

Opening her eyes, she answered Fu's question. "Yes."

"Chat Noir?"

To Ladybug's surprise, Chat, too, took a few moments to think. "I suppose," he finally replied, although Ladybug could see the joy in his eyes.

Fu clapped his wrinkled hands. "Excellent!"

Ladybug raised her hand. "Uh, excuse me, Master Fu?"

"Yes, Ladybug?"

She fiddled with her ribbons. "I kind of have to be somewhere. It's really important… how long will the reveal take?"

Master Fu shrugged. "It is hard to say. The transformation drop, of course, will be quick. But the preparation, the processing, and the conversation could take up to an hour."

Ladybug flinched. "An _hour_?"

"Yes. Do you have that long?"

"No way. I'm on a strict schedule." She pulled out her yo-yo and checked the time, yelping as she did so. "And I'm already behind! Can we do this another time? Please?" she begged. "I really, really have to go."

Master Fu sighed. "Very well. It must be soon. Tomorrow, same time, same place?"

"That suits me," replied Ladybug.

"And me," added Chat.

"Great!" said Ladybug happily. She waved goodbye and ran out the door. "Bug out!"

MLBMLBMLB

"Alya, it's honestly perfect. It's a bit drab at the moment, but give me until Wednesday morning and it'll be better, I promise." Marinette pushed open the front entrance to the bakery, swinging a plastic bag on her arm. The bluenette mouthed a greeting to her parents as she walked around the back, who were serving the last few customers. "Seriously, it was no trouble. At least now I'll be able to rest easy," joked Marinette, heading upstairs to the apartment. She listened to her friend for a few moments. "Of course. Love you, bye!" She hung up, now standing in her bedroom. Marinette flopped back onto her desk chair and logged into her computer. She was greeted by the glow of a familiar website, run by a certain flannel-wearing classmate. Marinette clapped her hand over her mouth as she read the latest post.

She'd completely forgotten that she was invited to the dance as Ladybug- _and Marinette_.

What was she going to do now?

 **Hi, guys...we're back on schedule and finally getting to the juicy parts! Sorry for the slight cliffhanger (hehehehe), and thanks again for your support!**


	35. Chapter 35

On Tuesday morning, there was another Valentine's Dance committee meeting, the last one before the actual event. Everyone sat around in the vacant classroom, some still eating breakfast, or sipping from thermoses. Rose was running over the list of refreshments for the evening. Marinette was sort-of-not-really listening. She was trying to work out where she was going to get a mask from by _tomorrow_. Getting one that actually matched her dress was going to be even more difficult.

Rose finished her monologue with an infectious smile. "Alya? Do you have any news?" she chirped.

The blogger raised her head from her phone, yawning. There were huge purple bags beneath her eyes, only partially concealed by her glasses. She looked exhausted, and Marinette felt sorry for her. She'd been in the same boat many times.

"Unfortunately, no," sighed Alya. "I spent a lot of last night searching for Ladybug and Chat Noir and trying to contact them. No luck, though." She twisted a lock of hair. "Sorry, everyone."

She looked so upset that Marinette slipped off her perch on the desk to comfort her. She squeezed Alya in a hug. "Don't worry," she whispered. "It isn't your fault."

Alya yawned in reply, and slumped down, resting her head on the desk.

Marinette returned to her seat and smiled at her co-committee members. "Um, anything else?"

No one said anything. Marinette forced out another beam. "Then let's get going!"

MLBMLBMLB

If there was one good thing about being on the committee, it was that you got time off school. The entire group was going to spend most of Tuesday setting up. They'd planned to have it in the courtyard, hoping that it wouldn't rain.

Marinette was in charge of the tables. Putting on tablecloths, laying cutlery and glasses, and adding small vases. It was calming, repetitive work, with an excellent view of the balloon station. It was very entertaining to watch Kim try and blow up a balloon. At this stage, he was as red as his hoodie- from both puffing and embarrassment.

Adrien was helping put up streamers and balloons, as he was a taller student. He kept dropping things and seemed fidgety and restless. As much as she disliked him, Marinette could relate. She felt exactly the same way, but at least she was doing a good job of disguising it.

Marinette knew she'd made the right decision. But that didn't mean she wasn't scared out of her mind at the very idea of revealing her identity to her partner.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette bit her lip, focused on her task as she attempted to slip her thread through a needle. She tried again and stabbed herself in the finger.

"Owww!" Marinette immediately stuck her finger in her mouth and began to suck on the tiny wound, something she'd been doing ever since she first began sewing. Once the brief pain was gone, Marinette tried again, successfully threading the needle. "Yes!" She pumped her fist in celebration and picked up her first sequin. This was going to be fiddly, difficult work, but Marinette was confident that she could accomplish it by tomorrow morning. She'd had a lot of practice with sequins, and wanted Alya to look her very best.

Glancing at her phone, she determined that she had half an hour before she needed to transform into her alter ego. Butterflies began to gather in her stomach, and Marinette did her best to shake them away.

Now was not the time to have a change of heart.

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Adrien had been jittery all day, but now, jittery didn't even go halfway to describe his nerves.

"And I'll be wearing the latest Clara palette for eyeshadow," crooned Chloe, gripping his arm tightly. "And tonight, I'm getting a new manicure!"

"That's great, Chloe," said Adrien, attempting to gently pull his arm away. "Could I have my arm back, please?"

Chloe continued to babble, ignoring Adrien. "Oh, you have to see the shoes. They're to die for! They're Jimmy Choo, of course. Daddy bought them the other day. It's such a shame your father doesn't do shoes or makeup. I could have gone full Gabriel, how amazing would that be?"

Adrien glanced at his watch. Fifteen minutes before he was due to meet Ladybug and Master Fu. "It all sounds great, Choe. I'm sure you'll look excellent tomorrow evening. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. It's urgent." He tried to pull his arm away again.

Chloe pouted and tightened her grip. "What's more important than me, Adrikins?"

Adrien smiled awkwardly. "I have a Chinese lesson."

Chloe smiled at him and pulled him closer. "Surely it can wait," she purred. "You have Chinese lessons _all_ the time."

"My father would be furious if I was late."

Chloe sighed. "At least give me some combination."

"Uh, you mean _compensation_?"

"Yes, of course I do." Chloe fluttered her eyelashes and leaned in, pursing her lips and closing his eyes. Adrien panicked. He'd kissed Chloe once before, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience. There was no way he would do it now, where absolutely anyone could see them.

Just as Chloe's mouth was about to make contact with his, Adrien turned his head, and all Chloe got was his cheek. "Sorry, Chloe, I really have to go. My father might not let me come to the dance if I'm late for my lesson!" He snatched his arm away and ran off, waving.

Once he was out of sight, he slipped into an alleyway. "Plagg, claws out!"

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Tikki cleared her throat, tapping her chosen on the shoulder. "Marinette? It's time to go."

It took the girl a few moments to look up. She had become completely absorbed in her work and was almost done. She held it up to inspect it. "Do you like it, Tikki?"

"Wow, it looks great!" exclaimed the kwami. "Good job, Marinette!"

Marinette gave a small smile before folding the dress neatly and putting her supplies to the side. "Ready to go, Tikki?"

"Just say the words!" chirped Tikki.

Marinette grinned, trying to ignore her nerves. "Tikki, spots on!"

The little kwami zoomed towards her, straight into her earrings, which began to glow. Marinette felt the Miraculous magic burst into her. She swept her hands across her face, creating her trademark mask. Flinging out her arms, the suit travelled up them and down her body, covering her like a second skin. With a pop, her yo-yo appeared, strung around her hips. Ribbons flowed out of her pigtails, and with a final kick, a fully transformed Ladybug stood in Marinette's room, the pink glow of her transformation slowly receding.

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He'd been preparing himself all day for this, but his heart still gave a nervous flutter when Ladybug stepped into the room. She was so beautiful, and soon he would know her true identity. He grinned at the thought. Once they knew each other as civilians, there would be so many possibilities. He wasn't even disappointed that his plan hadn't worked.

Except that his plan was the whole reason that they were here. It had almost resulted in Ladybug being akumatized. Chat Noir's plan had caused her so much pain and anger.

Would she be able to forgive him?

Chat pulled out his baton and began to spin it nervously. Ladybug fiddled with one of her ribbons. Master Fu watched on in amusement.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir. Are you both still willing to do this?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Then let us proceed." Master Fu looked them up and down. "I have thought long and hard about the best way to do this, and I have come to a conclusion. You will both drop your transformations in front of each other, with your eyes closed. I will give you a few moments to prepare yourself. Then, when I give the word, you will open your eyes." The old man gave a satisfied smile. "And then I will let the two of you work out any... _issues._ Understand?"

"Yes, Master Fu," the two heroes chorused.

"All right. Do you need a moment?"

Both of the superheroes nodded. Master Fu smiled. "Very well."

Ladybug closed her eyes and put her hands over her heart, trying to stop the pounding. Her insides were twisting with nerves, and she was almost panting. This was one of the biggest risks she'd ever taken. Was she ready?

 _Of course you are,_ said Tikki in her head. _You can do this, Marinette!_

"I can do this," muttered Ladybug out loud. "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this." She breathed in, and out. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. _Deep breathing, Marinette._ In, out. _You can do this_.

She opened her eyes, steeling herself for what was to come. She saw Chat standing with his eyes closed, lips moving, but no sounds coming out. Ladybug studied his face. It was easier to look at when his eyes were closed. The bright green sclera was pretty disconcerting. She tried to imagine what he would look like without the mask on.

Chat Noir's eyes shot open, looking straight at Ladybug. She squeaked and turned red, embarrassed to be caught staring. He didn't seem to mind and just gave her a small, sweet smile.

Master Fu watched the exchange silently. Then he cleared his throat. "Are you ready?"

Inhale, exhale. "Yes."

Chat Noir nodded. "Yes."

Master Fu nodded gravely. "Very well. Can you both be trusted not to peek until I say?"

"Yes, Master Fu."

"Excellent. Close your eyes."

Ladybug snapped her eyelids shut, trying her best to control her breathing. _Calm down, Marinette. It's just Chat Noir. Nothing to worry about._

There was silence, except for the ticking of Master Fu's clock, and the sounds of their breathing.

"Drop your transformations."

 _Oh, god._ "Tikki, spots off," whispered Ladybug.

From across the room, she heard her partner. "Plagg, claws in."

There was a whooshing noise, and bright light forced its way through Marinette's eyelids as she felt her suit and mask melt away. Now, instead of smooth, tight material, she felt cotton and denim against her skin.

There was perhaps thirty seconds of silence. Then Marinette felt Tikki settle on her shoulder. "Ladybug, are you ready?" she whispered softly.

Marinette breathed in deeply. "I think so," she breathed back.

Tikki must have signalled to Master Fu, because his voice broke the silence. "You may now open your eyes."

Marinette gasped as full realization hit her. No, she couldn't do this. She couldn't open her eyes!

"Ladybug," murmured Tikki. "You can open your eyes now."

Marinette shook her head fiercely, feeling one of her pigtails smack into her kwami. "I c-can't."

"You _can_."

Marinette could hear Chat Noir breathing. "Has he looked yet?"

Tikki's voice was soft. "Open your eyes and see for yourself."

Marinette squeezed her fists. _Why couldn't she just open her eyes?_

"It seems both of you refuse to look." Master Fu spoke suddenly. "Are you both still willing to go through with this?"

"Yes!" cried Marinette.

"Then we'll try this again. On the count of three, both open your eyes. One…"

Marinette pressed her nails into her palm.

"Two…"

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Adrien could feel Plagg's breath on his cheek, smelling strongly of Camembert.

"Two…"

Adrien couldn't say why he didn't open his eyes the first time. Something had stopped him. This was what he had always wanted- to know the identity of his lady. But somehow, now that the moment was finally here, he couldn't bring himself to look.

"Three."

Adrien Agreste opened his eyes to see his partner's face for the first time.

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"Three."

Marinette felt her heart stop as the words pierced the air. Then she threw all caution to the winds and opened her eyes.

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Adrien didn't know what he was expecting when he looked at civilian Ladybug for the first time. A complete stranger that was also his best friend, perhaps. A girl he'd never seen before, yet knew so well. Someone that just _looked_ like Ladybug.

He wasn't expecting this.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette wasn't sure if she regretted her decision or not. She now saw exactly what Fu had meant when he said that Chat Noir had caused her pain.

Oh, he was going to be sorry.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was someone Adrien had once regarded as a friend. Lately, she'd been acting as though they were enemies, and Adrien now knew why.

He'd messed up. Big time.

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Adrien and Marinette stared at each other, jaws hanging loose, faces full of shock and in Marinette's case, growing anger.

She advanced towards him. Smiling sheepishly, Adrien spread his arms, under the impression that she was going to hug him.

 _Huge_ mistake.

Marinette lunged at him, punching him solidly in the stomach. The model doubled over, wheezing.

"You-you-you...ugh!" She went to hit him again, face bright red. " _Idiot_!"

Adrien dodged her fist and backed off. "Marinette-" The name felt strange in his mouth, "-calm down!"

"Do you have _any_ idea what you've done?" spat the girl, still furious. "I _hate_ you!"

Adrien felt like he'd been socked in the stomach again, except that Marinette was three metres away from him. Ladybug, his partner and friend of more than a year, hated him.

He was shattered.

Master Fu could obviously see that this was not going well. He swiftly stepped between the teenagers. "I think you need some time alone to process this," he said quickly. "Marinette, stay here. Adrien, follow me." He limped out of the room.

As Adrien walked out the door, he turned briefly. Marinette knelt in the center of the room, her face in her hands. She was completely still, and Adrien felt a stab of remorse.

He left Marinette alone, closing the door quietly. Master Fu led him to a small, quiet room, closed the door, and left him alone to sort out his thoughts.

Adrien was stunned. He'd never expected the bold, confident, sassy, beautiful superhero to be his shy, sweet classmate.

Except...Marinette _wasn't_ shy, at least not around others. She would happily strike up a conversation with pretty much anyone. And Marinette was confident, too. She'd made a great speech in front of the whole class when she was running for class representative, and she wasn't afraid to argue with Chloe, was had a notoriously sharp tongue. Actually, Marinette was very similar to Ladybug, in both looks and characteristics. Adrien hadn't seen it because...well, because Marinette had always acted like she was terrified of him, except for the cold way she'd treated him lately. But why would she be scared of him? She wasn't around anyone else….

Wait. Ladybug liked Adrien. Marinette _was_ Ladybug. Oh, god. She liked him, and Adrien had been such an idiot. Broken her heart when he rejected her the first time, then given her hope when he took her to get ice-cream and complained about Chloe. Then he'd told Ladybug that he liked Marinette, and then she'd seen him kissing Chloe, and he was a complete _idiot_.

Well, he supposed that he'd processed everything now. He also knew that he had to apologize to Marinette at once.

If she would let him, at least.

 **Hi! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It took a few days because a) it was the weekend and I had commitments and b) I wanted this to be the best it could be, because it's kind of an important chapter. This story is NOT complete yet, there's still a few more chapters to go. So just hang tight for a week or so!**

 **In response to one of my reviews, which asked me to watch my language; I don't have a problem with that at all, but did I cuss in the story before? I don't think I did (apart from the 'bloody hypocrite' thing, but I say that all the time at school and my teachers don't care), but I'm too lazy to go through and check. Thanks for reading!**


	36. Chapter 36

Marinette had processed all that she needed to. She understood that Chat Noir/Adrien had been a selfish, stupid person, with no respect for her feelings. He'd concocted some stupid plan just to get her to fall in love with him, and had thought nothing of _breaking her heart_ in the process. She was positively enraged. God help him if he ever came out of that room.

Tikki tried to calm her furious friend down. "Marinette, it's not entirely his fault. People can get tunnel vision when they're in love." She held the girl's gaze. "You of all people should know that."

Marinette huffed and turned away, glaring at one of Master Fu's silk screens. Tikki sighed. "Marinette, if this had happened three months ago, how would you be feeling right now?"

Marinette considered. Three months ago, she had been hopelessly in love with Adrien. "I would have been over the moon," she admitted grudgingly.

"So why aren't you over the moon now?"

"Because...because I went through a lot of stuff because of his idiocy, Tikki. I was hurt and sad and angry. And he was so clueless and-" She was cut off by a knock at the door. Master Fu poked his head in.

"May we come in?"

Without thinking, Marinette nodded. The door opened wider and next to Master Fu was a sheepish-looking Adrien Agreste.

The very sight of him caused Marinette's temper to flare up again. She shot to her feet with a murderous expression on her face.

Adrien backed away, walking into the wall and hitting his head with a thud. "Ow!"

Marinette smirked, pleased that he was feeling pain.

Master Fu looked between the two and decided that things would get very ugly, very quickly if he didn't step in. "Marinette, Adrien has something to say to you," he said, sounding just like the parent of two arguing children.

Marinette pursed her lips and turned away. "I have no interest in anything that person says."

"He wants to apologize."

"Who says I'll forgive him?" Marinette folded her arms across her chest. "I have to go."

"What? Where?" cried Adrien, looking crestfallen.

Marinette glared at him. " _I_ have to get a mask for myself and a dress for my friend by tomorrow. I think that's slightly more important than dealing with _you_." Her words were icy, her stare even colder.

Adrien's jaw dropped. "You're going to the dance? With who?"

"What did you expect me to do? Crawl into my bed and cry all night just because you said no?" replied Marinette, conveniently forgetting that she had originally intended to do exactly that. "And as for who I'm going with, well, that's _none of your business_." She spun on her heel and began to march towards the door.

"Marinette, wait!" cried Adrien desperately. "I'm sorry! I was a complete idiot and you have every right to be mad-"

The door slammed shut, and Adrien Agreste slumped to the ground, defeated and despairing.

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Marinette stormed through the streets of Paris, making a very angry beeline for the bakery. She had to get to work, or she wasn't going to finish before tomorrow.

And she was most certainly not going to think about Adrien Agreste.

Pulling out her phone, she began to flick through images of masquerade masks, trying to decide on a style that would match her dress _and_ be simple enough to make. Ordinarily, she would have designed a mask, but she simply didn't have the time. She'd gotten so caught up in her superhero life, and now it was biting back.

The bluenette was so absorbed in her research that she walked straight into someone's chest. Yelping, the girl fell to the ground, dropping her phone with a clatter. "I am so, so sorry!" she cried, without looking at who she'd bumped into. She snatched up her phone, accepting the hand up.

"That's quite alright," said a voice she knew well. Marinette narrowed her eyes. The voice, the feel of leather and sharp claws against her palm….

She abruptly dropped the hand and helped herself up. Without a second glance, she began to walk away, her steps long and fast. There were a few sharp pounds behind her. "Marinette, wait! I'm sorry!"

She didn't turn around. "Leave me alone!"

"Let me explain!" Chat Noir caught up to her and put his gloved hand on her shoulder. "Please, Marinette!"

Marinette let out an angry hiss, as though _she_ was the cat, and shrugged his hand away.

Chat Noir didn't give up. Usually, perseverance was a quality Marinette admired about him, but not today. "Marinette, you're not being fair."

She snorted. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'life isn't fair'?"

"More times than you'd think."

"How sad. If you want pity, you've come to the wrong place. Maybe you should go to Chloe. I'm sure she'd give you all the pity you want."

"She'd probably try to give me much more than I want," said Chat, attempting to make the angry girl laugh.

It didn't work. Instead, she just picked up her pace. For someone so short, she was a really fast walker. The cat superhero had to jog to keep up. "Marinette, why can't we talk about this?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'you can't always get what you want'?" mocked Chat Noir. "You're going to have to talk to me eventually."

"Oh, will I?"

"Yes, you will. Patrol? Akumas? Surely you won't let this stop you from protecting Paris. Oh, sorry, I forgot. You don't have a problem with neglecting your duty, do you, _Ladybug_?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Chat knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but his temper was getting the better of him.

In front of him, Marinette let out a furious growl-shriek. Spinning around, she raised her hand as if to strike him, but then stopped herself. She turned again and ran ahead. Within moments, the girl had ducked into a side street and disappeared from view.

Chat cursed, and began to run after her. It was getting kind of late, and who knew what kind of people were waiting in side streets, preying on young people such as Marinette? While Chat had no doubt that Marinette would be capable of punching their lights out, he knew that his lady wouldn't have much of a chance against a knife-or-gun-wielding criminal.

Getting desperate, he called out. "Marinette? Where are you?"

No reply. "Marinette, please!" Still silence, until the steady beat of footsteps broke the stillness. Chat turned, expecting to see Marinette running towards him with a masked thug hot on her heels, but instead, he saw Marinette shoving open the door to her family bakery and slamming the door, effectively getting out of his sight.

Chat sighed. He could always go up onto her balcony, of course, but he was pretty sure that would qualify as harassment. He didn't want to be confronted by Marinette's father. The guy was huge.

Shoulders slumping, he turned and headed for home, wishing that the evening had gone better.

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Marinette leaned against the door, chest heaving. She wondered if Chat noir would keep trying to talk to her, or if he would go home. She hoped it would be the latter.

But she didn't have time to think about her partner now. She had stuff to do, and she was going to have to wake up early tomorrow. As a member of the Dance Committee, she was expected to give the location a once-over, just to make sure everything was in place. She also needed to pay a visit to the library, and hopefully get a head start on her History assignment. While it wasn't due for another three weeks, Marinette often got so busy trying to manage _two_ lives that she forgot about projects. With all the time she'd had off this year, the girl couldn't afford to get a low grade on this assignment.

Marinette ran upstairs to her room. She flopped down onto her desk chair and brought up an image of the mask style she'd chosen. It would be difficult work, but there was no way that she was turning up without a mask. Practically everyone else was.

She also needed to complete her work on Alya's dress. After some consideration, Marinette decided to do Alya's gown first, then her mask. Better that Alya had a dress and Marinette didn't have a mask, rather than the other way around.

Marinette picked up the dress and her needle again and began to stitch. Her fingers slipped, she dropped sequins, and she pricked herself many, many times, but by seven o'clock, the dress was looking exactly like Marinette had wanted it to. Pleased with her work, she hung it up on one of the ladder rungs, so that when she climbed down the next morning, she wouldn't forget it.

Now it was time to work on the mask. Marinette had never made a mask before (apart from the paper-plate ones everyone made when they were six), but she'd done a bit of research and had a decent idea on how to pull it off.

She set to work, her hands moving nimbly as the creation slowly began to take shape. Tikki let Marinette work for a solid half-hour before pouncing.

"Chat Noir's right, you know."

Marinette flinched, and almost dropped her not-quite mask. "Tikki!" she snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate!"

Tikki didn't back off. "I know that, Marinette," she said patiently. "But this is more important."

Marinette felt her temper flare up, but tried to keep it under control. "I don't see how."

"You have to talk to him eventually. You can't neglect Paris because of him."

"I wasn't _planning_ to," replied Marinette, with gritted teeth.

"Besides, you haven't done patrol in a while. Hawkmoth will strike again at any minute."

Marinette clenched her fists and tried to calm herself down. She couldn't afford to waste time arguing with Tikki. "Fine. I'll go on patrol tomorrow." She turned back to her work, dismissing the conversation.

Tikki could have jumped for joy, except that it was difficult to jump when you were floating. "Great!" she cried squeakily. "I'm proud of you, Marinette."

Marinette just nodded curtly, and continued to work. Tikki smiled to herself, and retreated to her stash of cookies.

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Marinette was exhausted- physically and emotionally. Yet somehow, she still managed to get into school at the time she'd wanted to. So far, everything was running smoothly.

That was all about to change, of course. Marinette didn't need to be a psychic to be able to tell that as soon as she met Adrien, things were going to turn weird. Their strange behaviour around each other was surely going to attract unwanted attention from their friends.

But she would cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, her focus was on her history project. She sat in the library, bent over her work, researching and typing on her laptop. Her topic was a good one, and it was easy to access helpful, reliable sources. Marinette practically cruised through the work. It was almost relaxing.

At half-past eight, Marinette packed up her belongings and left the library to meet Alya out the front. The blogger was already there, texting madly on her phone. She didn't glance up as her friend approached.

"Hey, Alya!"

Alya squeaked and almost dropped her phone. There was a huge smile already on her face, and it only got wider at the sight of Marinette. "Hey, girl! Have you got it?" she asked excitedly.

Marinette nodded, and with a flourish, pulled the neatly folded dress out of her bag. "Voila!"

Alya squealed in delight. "I love it! Marinette, you're amazing!"

Marinette gave a dismissive wave. "Oh, it was nothing, really. Who were you texting?"

Alya tapped the side of her nose, trying to be coy, but unable to stop herself from beaming. "Oh, no one."

Marinette arched her eyebrow and gave her friend a playful smirk. "Was it...Nino?"

Alya shrugged. There was a call from behind them, and the two girls turned. It was Nino, walking towards them. "Hey, Alya! Hey, Marinette!"

"Hey, Nino!" they called back. Marinette gave her friend a suspicious look. Who had she been texting? And why was she smiling like that?

 **Hi again. Hope you enjoy the new chapter! If you have any advice for me or think I'm doing something wrong, feel free to tell me! Thanks.**


	37. Chapter 37

For the rest of the day, Alya couldn't wipe the smirk off her face. It was constantly there, and to be honest, it was kind of annoying. Marinette had asked Alya multiple times why she was smiling, but Alya had just tossed her hair and smiled harder, infuriating the girl. Why wouldn't Alya just tell her?

It puzzled and annoyed Alya's boyfriend, too. The DJ continued to pester the blogger about her expression all day, to no avail. Marinette supposed that telling him that Alya had been texting someone and smiling wasn't the best move. He was now seriously paranoid and kept jiggling about, shooting suspicious glances at his girlfriend and any guy who dared to go near her.

Marinette tried to soothe him. "It's fine, Nino," she lied. "Alya would never go behind your back with someone else. Besides, you'll be with her all evening tonight, right?"

Nino didn't seem encouraged by the thought. "I guess." He twisted his hands.

Marinette sighed. "Look, it's annoying me too. But who knows? Maybe she has a cool surprise planned for you."

Nino shrugged and began working on his latest mix again.

Marinette turned back to her work. If Adrien was here, he would have been able to comfort his friend. Not that Marinette _wanted_ him here, she was simply stating a fact. Maybe he'd come down with a cold, she thought hopefully. Then she wouldn't have to face him for ages.

But if he was fine, then where was he? It was unlike Adrien to miss school, especially with a father as strict as his. Marinette disliked him, but she couldn't help but feel concerned for him. After all, she had once seen him as the sweet, kind Chat Noir, and it was difficult to stop viewing him in that way.

A small shriek assaulted her ears, and everyone in the vicinity looked up, annoyed at the distraction. Alya stood by the shelves, staring at her phone, giggling in obvious delight.

Marinette put her head to the desk, the smooth paper of her textbook cool against her forehead. She had no wish to deal with Alya's weird behaviour, and by the look on Nino's face, neither did he.

Alya flounced over to the pair, looking like a child on Christmas morning. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks were rosy. Actually, she reminded Marinette of the way she'd looked after Nino had finally plucked up the courage to ask her on a date. That had been five months ago now, realized Marinette with a shock. Where had the time gone?

Alya laughed again as she reached them, giving them wide, toothy smiles. "Hey, guys!"

"Did you just get another text from your new boyfriend?" muttered Nino under his breath, just loud enough for Marinette to hear. She frowned at the boy, who didn't look up from his phone.

Alya tittered. She obviously hadn't heard her boyfriend. "Oh, never mind! I can see you're working very hard. I won't bother you, then!" She pinched Nino's cheek and giggled.

Nino's head snapped up. He looked irritated. "Look, Alya, I don't know what's gotten into you-"

Alya just kissed his cheek and pranced away, not letting her boyfriend finish. He glared at her retreating back, then put his head in his hands.

Marinette watched him, worried. After a few moments, he lifted his chin, jammed his earbuds back in, and went back to work. Marinette decided that it was time she had a serious talk with Alya. Picking up her books, she put them into her shoulder back and hurried after the blogger. She caught up with her fairly quickly, and as expected, Alya was staring at her phone and beaming- again.

Marinette put a hand on Alya's shoulder. "Alya, we need to talk." She made her voice firm, to let the girl know that there was no backing out.

Alya looked up in confusion. "Uh, okay, girl." To Marinette's surprise, she sounded like her usual self.

"Nino and I are getting pretty worried, and quite frankly, _annoyed_. You just keep looking at your phone and then laughing, or you walk around with this weird little smirk on your face. We've asked you why _multiple_ times, but you never answer. I don't want to know what it is, though. For all I know there's a surprise planned or something. But please stop. You're really freaking Nino out."

Alya blinked at her through the lenses of her stylish glasses. "Wow. Am I really that bad?"

Marinette smiled. "Yeah, sorry."

Alya shook her head, causing her loose curls to bounce all over the place. "No, don't be sorry. It's my fault. I talk to Nino. I just got some really good news, that's all. I guess I was kind of….drunk on happiness?"

Marinette bumped her gently with her shoulder. "Seriously, don't stress about it. I'm glad you're back to normal," she replied. "You'd better go talk to Nino. He's not doing so well."

Alya nodded furiously. "On it!" As she raced towards the library, she called over her shoulder. "Thanks, M!"

Marinette just chuckled fondly and waved.

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The entire class was acting like they'd drunk a litre of Red Bull that afternoon. Everyone talked at lightning-fast speeds, fidgeted and knocked things over. Rose, who was usually pretty energetic, was practically bouncing off the walls. After maybe ten minutes of trying to get them to sit quietly and plan essays, Ms. Bustier simply gave up, and let them do what they liked for the remainder of the day- within reason, of course. When Nino attempted to blast his latest mix, she put her foot down, and the class quietened a little.

Marinette knew they were all excited for the dance, and tried to join in on their excitement, but just couldn't. She had never been very good about faking emotions she didn't feel. Despite the fact that she had a beautiful dress, a mask to match, and would be hanging out with her best friends all evening, she felt kind of...empty. Like her evening was a jigsaw puzzle that was missing a piece, or maybe seventy.

Nevertheless, despite not feeling her classmates' buzz, she joined in on the Monopoly marathon and tried to laugh and smile with everyone else. Everyone else was too busy (or too high) to take any notice of her.

Eventually, it all got too much for Marinette. Her entire face ached from forcing smiles, and her head was beginning to pound from all the noise. Rubbing her temples, she excused herself from the board game and approached Ms. Bustier's desk. The auburn-haired young woman looked up from grading essays and smiled at her student. "How can I help you, Marinette?"

"Can I go and get some fresh air and a drink? I'm a little lightheaded."

"Of course!" Ms. Bustier gave her a sympathetic look. "It _is_ rather loud in here, isn't it? But I suppose they deserve their fun. Are you attending the dance tonight, Marinette?"

"I-er-well…..yes."

Ms. Bustier put her hand on Marinette's shoulder and leaned in close. "Don't let a boy get you down, my dear. Sometimes it's nice just to take some time to yourself, and being single is rather fashionable these days." She straightened up. "If you need to go home or see the nurse, please tell me. I'd hate for you to stay home tonight." She winked at the stunned bluenette and went back to marking papers.

Marinette nodded silently and walked out of the room, feeling slightly dazed. It was disconcerting that Ms. Bustier could read her so well, but nice to have an ally. She stumbled down the staircase and towards the bubble taps, breathing deeply in the fresh air. The wind was tugging gently at their dance decorations but was doing wonders for Marinette's headache. Paired with a few gulps of clean, sweet water, and Marinette was feeling much better.

Except for one thing. Ms. Bustier's words now hung in her mind like some kind of huge billboard, something she was not consciously thinking about, yet was always at the front of her mind. It was annoying, and Marinette knew she should take care of it in order to put her in a better mental space, but couldn't bring herself to face it. _Coward_ , she thought to herself. _Ladybug, defender of innocents, bringer of justice, guardian of Paris, can't face a stupid thought?_

But despite her self-taunts, the distraught young designer just couldn't think about it. She shoved all thoughts of Adrien Agreste and tonight's dance into a corner of her mind and marched back to the classroom. As soon as she opened the door, her ears were immediately assaulted by the _horrible_ sound of heavy metal rock music. It looked like Nino had succeeded in his attempts to play music, although it certainly wasn't _his_ music. Judging from the genre, Marinette decided that Ivan must have selected the song.

With a groan, she put her hand to her forehead. It was going to be a long afternoon.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette turned the apple around and around, staring into its glossy, Ladybug-red surface. Her freshly painted (now dry) nails cut into the flesh, creating tiny, pale nicks on the fruit's perfect skin. She stared at her nails in disgust. Painted blue with silver sparkles, manicured neatly and perfectly matching her dress and mask. Marinette had never felt so much loathing towards keratin.

She'd gotten her nails done with Alya, Mylene, Alix, Juleka and Rose, all six of them hustling into one of the area's many beauty salons. Marinette hadn't planned it but had been cajoled into getting a manicure by her friends. When she'd finally relented, they'd whisked her off to the trendy salon, giggling and elbowing each other. The girls had only let her go home once the final coat of polish had been applied, waving and telling her that they'd see in later that evening.

How very wrong they were.

Marinette's friends would simply have to do without the blessing of Marinette's presence at the dance. Oh, sure, she could have a great time with the girls and knew that it didn't matter if she didn't have a partner. But to Marinette, it did matter. Adrien would be there with Chloe, presuming that he wasn't ill or away. Marinette wasn't going to hold his (horrible) choice of partner against him, she wasn't quite so shallow. But she wasn't about to forgive him for the choices he'd made as both Chat Noir and Adrien, either. She did have some pride left, even though the young superhero wasn't acting like it.

Her eyes fell on her dress, sitting pristine and perfect on her mannequin. The carefully crafted mask that had taken her hours was tucked into the neckline. The blue of the material matched her eyes and her nails perfectly. It was a shame she wouldn't be wearing it tonight. One of the school's biggest events, one Marinette had spent ages working on, and she wasn't even going to attend. How pathetic.

Tikki floated up in front of her chosen, a frown creasing her tiny face. "Marinette, what are you _doing_?"

Marinette barely even glanced at the kwami. "Sitting on my chair. Holding an apple. Looking at my gown."

Tikki put her pink hands on her hips. "The gown that you're going to wear tonight, yes?"

Marinette sighed and spun the chair away from Tikki. "Oh, give it a break. You know as well as I do that I'm not going."

"No, I don't. Because you _are_ going."

"Am not." Marinette knew she sounded childish, but didn't feel the need to act like an adult right now.

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Tikki, stop!"

"No!"

"TIKKI!"

"NO!"

There was a bright flash as pink sparks erupted from the kwami, causing _cracks_ to echo around the room. Tikki's eyes crackled as she stared down Marinette. "Don't be a fool," she said, voice deeper and richer than it usually was. "You're going, whether you like it or-" The kwami stopped, froze, then zoomed off to hide behind Marinette' computer. Marinette turned in time to see her trap door creak open, and her mother's glossy head poke through.

"Is everything alright, dear?"

 **Hi again. Slow to update because of the weekend, and also because my extremely young cousins were staying with my family while their mum was in the hospital, having another baby. Let me tell you, it's pretty full on looking after two toddlers who constantly scream/ argue. Fortunately, they now have a new little sister and will be heading home soon (they came up because I live in a reasonably large city and my aunt doesn't trust the doctors in her town). So quick life update there. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and seriously, I am very open to all forms of (constructive) criticism. One review said that the story was predictable (at least that's what I think they were trying to say). So I'll try and stop it from being predictable. If you like, maybe tell me what you think will happen in the next chapters, and I'll try and steer clear of it. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	38. Chapter 38

Marinette froze and choked on air. Tikki let out a low hiss and zoomed behind Marinette's right pigtail. Marinette tried to smile at her mother, hoping desperately she hadn't seen the kwami. "Yes, of course, Mama! Everything is just fine."

Sabine looked at her daughter suspiciously, then climbed through the trapdoor with ease, surprisingly nimble for her age. The petite woman approached her daughter, surveying the room with pursed lips. "Your room is an absolute pigsty, darling. What _have_ you been doing?"

As Marinette fumbled for an answer, her mother's eyes fell on the girl's mannequin, and her jaw dropped. "Marinette, did you make this?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes, Mama. Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Sabine rushed towards her daughter and pulled her to her feet, hugging her tightly. "I love it! You must wear it sometime, Marinette." She rose to the tips of her toes and kissed the young designer's cheek, leaving a faint mark of pale pink lipstick. "What's the occasion?"

Tikki cleared her throat softly yet meaningfully, too quiet for Sabine to hear. Marinette sighed and opened her mouth to answer, but her mother had continued on.

"Oh, I know!" she cried. "It's the Valentine's Dance, isn't it? I got an email about it last week. When was it again?"

Marinette didn't even bother trying to answer, and simply watched her mother pull out her mobile phone and check her email. When she read the date, the baker let out a gasp and almost dropped her phone. "But it's tonight!" she exclaimed. "Do you need any help getting ready?"

Marinette was about to refuse, but then caught the shine in her mother's eyes and had a change of heart. "Yes, please," she smiled, deciding that she would let her mother prepare her, then leave and transform into Ladybug. Perhaps she could get ice-cream, or even bring her sketchpad and do some designing to soothe her troubled soul. Yes, that sounded good.

"Wonderful!" Sabine clapped her hands, barely containing her excitement. "I'll just pop down to tell your father, and grab a few things, then I'll be right back, my sweet. Oh, how exciting! My little Marinette!" Sabine rushed back downstairs, muttering to herself about cosmetics and hairstyles. Marinette smiled fondly and shook her head.

Tikki swirled out from behind her pigtail, looking slightly less enraged. "You'd better go to the dance, Marinette," she said, in that deep voice. "You can't run from things forever."

Marinette pressed her lips together. "I know that."

"Are you going to the dance, or not?" demanded the little kwami.

Marinette started to answer before the sound of quick, light footsteps on the staircase caught her attention. "Hide, Tikki!" she whispered urgently, gesturing to the little pink creature. Shooting her a thunderous look, the kwami darted off to hide again.

Moments later, Sabine burst through the trapdoor, holding a box and a mound of slightly stained fabric, which she tossed to her daughter, setting the box on Marinette's vanity with a thud. "Here you go!" she announced. "Let's get started. Put on your dress, sweetheart."

Marinette frowned. If she applied makeup or hair products while wearing her dress, it could get dirty. However, she decided to trust her mother and obeyed the woman's orders. Sabine bustled about as Marinette carefully removed the dress form the mannequin, making sure nothing tore. She pulled off her shirt and jeans and cautiously stepped into the gown. She cleared her throat and tripped over to her mother. "Could you zip me up, Mama?"

"Certainly." Sabine carefully adjusted the zipper and tucked it away, making it almost invisible. Marinette turned to face her mother, who looked delighted. "Oh, darling, you look gorgeous!" She clasped her hands together and blinked back happy tears. "So grown up."

Marinette looked at herself in the mirror, and couldn't help but admire her work. The gown was form fitting around the bodice, with a sweetheart neckline. Transparent, sparkling fabric spread out from the blue material, creating long sleeves and a higher neckline. The skirt flowed out, light blue with a filmy layer floating over the blue silky material. The hem of the dress brushed the floor, just long enough that Marinette's sock-covered toes peeped out.

Sabine picked up the piece of stained fabric that she had tossed to Marinette, and draped it over her shoulders so that it covered most of the gown, like a cape. Rolling up the sleeves of her blouse, Sabine studied her daughter's face critically.

"You have a natural beauty, so not much makeup," she mused. "But we'll do your hair, perhaps with a diamond clip. Something formal, but not too formal."

Marinette raised her hand. "It's a masquerade ball, Mama," she informed the woman. "Here, I'll grab my mask." Marinette walked over to the mannequin and retrieved her mask, careful not to trip over her skirt. Using the mirror as a guide, Marinette put on the mask, using pins on the edges to hold it up. It was the same blue and silver as the dress, and like Ladybug's mask, covered only half her face. It was mostly blue, with silver embellishments around the edges and between the eyes. Simple, but effective.

Sabine nodded, and leaned in close, uncapping a tube of lipstick. She applied it to her daughter's lips. "Well, that's the makeup done. Now for the hair." Sabine frowned in concentration, eyes fixed on Marinette's dark locks. Picking up a brush, she took out the girl's hair ties and began to run it through the silky strands. Carefully, she picked up a handful of hair and plaited it loosely. Sabine pulled the rest into a low, messy bun, leaving wisps around Marinette's face. Plucking up two pins, Sabine slid the bejewelled accessories into her daughter's hair, completing the look.

For the next forty minutes or so, Marinette underwent a severe pampering session, including a pedicure, bath (with bubbles, and taking care not to ruin her hair), and moisturizing. With fifteen minutes before the dance began, Marinette slipped back into her dress, fresh, clean and polished.

She slid on her heels and teetered downstairs, gripping the rail firmly and cursing herself for not practicing walking in the things. Her parents waited at the bottom, her father floury and her mother teary, both smiling proudly. As she reached them, Marinette was wrapped in a hug by her father. "My Marinette, the prettiest girl in Paris!" he boomed. Releasing her, he whipped out a camera and began to snap photographs. "Say cheese!"

Marinette tolerated her parents for five minutes, before announcing that she had to leave. Her father nodded and took off his apron. "Let's go then!"

"You're coming with me?"

"Of course! We want to meet your date!"

Marinette stiffened. "Oh...there's no date. I'm going solo tonight."

Her parents looked surprised for a fraction of a second, before carefully arranging their faces into supportive looks. "Oh, well, that's not a problem then. Come on!"

Marinette sighed, and stumbled after her parents. Well, that was her plan down the drain. She'd have to slip away during the dance to transform.

MLBMLBMLB

"Marinette!"

The second Marinette tripped through the door, a harsh shriek assaulted her ears, and a tiny figure in pink slammed into her, almost knocking the air out of the young designer.

"Good to see you too, Rose," she said breathlessly.

Rose beamed up at Marinette. "Oh, isn't it wonderful? All our hard work has paid off!"

Marinette forced a grin. "Yeah, wonderful."

"You look beautiful!" gushed Rose. "DId you make that?"

Marinette nodded silently, and Rose squeaked excitedly. "You're so talented, Marinette!"

Rose's loud cries had attracted more attention. Juleka, Mylene, Ivan, Alya, Alix, Nino, and Kim approached the two girls. Alya smiled at her. "Marinette, the dress is gorgeous. Thank you so much!"

"It suits you," responded Marinette, studying the burnt-orange, floor-length, halter-necked dress with pride. "So, what was the good news?"

Alya tapped her nose with her finger and winked. "Oh no, you don't, girl. That's classified information."

Marinette groaned, and turned to greet the others, complimenting them on their outfits and chatting. Ten minutes later, the party was in full swing, with the lights dimmed and people twirling around on the dance floor, rocking to Nino's truly brilliant mixtape.

Chloe and Sabrina stood by the door, criticising the outfits of every single person in between checking their phones for the time. "He was meant to _be_ here by now," moaned Chloe. "He'd better not be sick."

Marinette rolled her eyes and kept dancing.

More people streamed in, but no golden-haired, green-eyed models were amongst the flow of finely-dressed students. Not that Marinette cared. She was concentrating on how to sneak out of the courtyard without her friends noticing.

Eventually, she managed to escape. Ducking behind a post, Marinette opened her clutch. Sure, the party was fun, but she was over it. It was time to get out of here.

"Tikki," she whispered into the clutch, where her kwami lay hidden, "spo-"

There was a sharp thud behind her, and Marinette snapped the purse shut, earning an indignant squeak from Tikki. Heart fluttering, Marinette slowly turned around, trying not to look suspicious, as though she crouched behind poles in ball gowns and heels all the time.

The person was several metres away from her, facing away. He was tall, with a mop of blonde hair that shone faintly in the dim lamplight. Marinette's chest tightened. _Chat Noir?_

He turned, and Marinette realized that she'd spoken out loud. Oops.

Crossing her arms, Marinette turned to walk away. But something seemed... _off_ about him. Against her will, the bluenette turned to look at him properly.

It may have been dark, but there was one thing on her superhero partner that always stood out in darkness. Or rather, two things. And those things were his luminous green eyes. But something was wrong. Because Chat Noir's eyes were not their usual emerald shade. Tonight, they were deep purple, like amethysts.

Or, thought Marinette with growing dread, her heart turning to stone, like an akuma.

MLBMLBMLB

Alya Cesaire had been looking forward to this night for _months_. Sure, the party was an absolute blast, but there was one thing that could make it even better, and that thing was the arrival of Chat Noir and Ladybug. She'd only heard back from the former, but Alya was sure that Ladybug would tag along with Chat. They had to have _some_ form of communication for when they were out of the suits, right?

In any case, it was still going to be incredible. And everyone assumed that they weren't coming, anyway, so they were in for a shock. Alya checked her phone. Chat Noir should be here by now.

MLBMLBMLB

After all the fuss about Ladybug potentially being akumatized, Adrien had never expected that he would meet the same fate. He also hadn't expected that his kind classmate would be the cause of it. But then again, he'd never expected that Marinette would be Ladybug, either.

He hadn't seen the akuma coming. The model had woken in the early hours of the morning, transformed, and snuck out of his room via the window, with no intention of returning to attend school. Quite honestly, he was sick of it all and needed some time to himself.

The last time he'd seen Marinette, she was slamming the door to the bakery, shutting him out of her house, and possibly even her life. Chat had always assumed tha he and Ladybug would stick with each other, but after seeing the look of pure hatred on the superheroine's face last night, anything could happen. It wasn't like his partner to hold grudges, but he'd caused her a lot of pain. He understood that now.

But he'd _said_ he was sorry! Ladybug needed to understand that Chat had had no idea what he was doing to her. Sure, she had the right to be mad, but not to the point of removing herself from his life.

Chat stopped to lean against a chimney, chest heaving, mind swirling. Ladybug _couldn't_ leave him!

Suddenly he felt something slam into his back with notable force. Chat stumbled against the chimney, clutching it for support as something cold began to spread through his body, like ice in his veins. His vision blurred then refocused, now edged with a purple glow. The superhero's mind went blank, narrowing to the cool, quiet voice in his head.

"A troubled boy, spurned by the girl of his dreams. She doesn't want to be in your life? I can give you the ability to change that. All I want in exchange is your Miraculous, and Ladybug's."

Chat Noir smiled as the voice continued to talk. "Yes, Hawkmoth."

Dark ripples spread over his body, as the guardian of Paris succumbed to Hawkmoth's will.

 **Hi, guys. I do have some stuff to say, but first I want to talk about this chapter. In the reviews (thanks so much for them, by the way!), some of you have said the story is losing its intensity, and becoming a bit of a rom-com. The first bit of this chapter was pretty boring, I'll admit, but it was easy to write and I'm really slack. I'm going to try to pick up the action levels again, so thanks for your support.**

 **Secondly, I know I took forever to update, which isn't really acceptable when I said I'd try to update twice a week, and I apologize for it. I had exams and heaps of assignments due (relish your primary school days, kids), which were extremely stressful for me and everyone else taking them. In addition to that, I do have some mental illnesses, which can make things extremely difficult, and definitely made the past week or so almost unbearable. I am recovering though, and I do have medical help and support. I'm going to do my best to get this story done before the term ends because I have a new project planned. So thanks for bearing with me!**

 **P.S. Someone said that there were some spelling errors. While I appreciate you pointing that out, please remember that I am Australian, and we spell things slightly differently to other countries. Also, I use an editing app (I'm lazy) so please let me know if I should change apps. Thanks again!**


	39. Chapter 39

The purple eyes of Marinette's partner bored into her own, horrible to look at. Horrible to imagine that Chat Noir was now under Hawkmoth's control. Marinette's blood felt icy and her fists clenched. Akumas were dangerous, especially when said akuma was actually a superhero when he wasn't being possessed by some crazy supervillain. And especially when that akuma knew your secret identity….

Marinette let out a sharp cry. Her identity! Chat knew about it, and Hawkmoth could read minds, and _oh no_. The bluenette began to back away as Chat Noir continued to stare at her with his terrible eyes, unblinking and unmoving. Marinette turned to run away but remembered something. She had fought Copycat, an akumatised victim who looked exactly like Chat Noir- right down to the ring. How could Marinette be sure that the creature behind her was not just a random civilian, who had taken on the appearance of her partner? There was no way to tell unless she actually had a conversation with the akuma.

Drawing in a lungful of air, Marinette slowly turned towards the akuma, making sure she was a few paces away, just in case he akuma decided to strike. Maybe it would be impossible to run in these heels, but Marinette would prefer to be out of range. "Excuse me?" Her voice was shaky, barely audible over the bubble of noise from the courtyard.

Slowly, the akuma turned its head towards her, without even twitching its eyelids. Marinette wanted to cry. This was something straight out of a horror movie, and it was _real_. Despite the mass of fear inside her, she tried again. "Are you Chat Noir?"

For a second, the akuma was motionless. Then it opened its mouth in a grin, revealing pearly white teeth, just like Chat's. However, the grin wasn't the same as the superhero's. It was somehow twisted, more evil, the look of a madman.

"Chat Noir is my name," it said, voice deep and rich. "And you are Marinette Dupain-Cheng." The awful grin grew wider. "Or should I say...Ladybug?"

MLBMLBMLB

Well, at least Marinette knew why Adrien had been away today. She supposed being akumatized by Hawkmoth himself was a pretty good excuse for begging off school.

The girl backed away, almost tripped on her dress. Chat Noir simply watched her, smiling. Marinette turned and stumbled away, cursing her heels, her luck, her stupidity, anything that she could think of, really. She reached the school steps and cast a panicked look over her shoulder. Chat Noir was nowhere in sight. Rather than feeling relieved, Marinette's fear intensified. Now, he had the element of surprise. She was a sitting duck.

Unless she could make it back into the courtyard, and raise the alarm. Then she could slip out quietly and transform. Fighting her partner would be a lot easier once she'd gotten rid of her dress and shoes. It would also be a lot easier once she worked out exactly where the akuma was and what Chat's newfound powers were.

Marinette slowed down and glanced back, trying out possibilities in her mind. Invisibility? Superhuman speed? None of them were pleasant, but she needed to find the akuma's weakness, and fast. The young designer kept moving, her legs pushing through the heavy material of her skirt, clinging to her and generally being a nuisance.

Marinette had her palm on the cool wood of the door and was just relishing the feel of success when a blur of black leather dropped on top of her. Marinette screamed once as she fell, before a leather-clad hand clapped over her mouth, smearing her lipstick. Marinette hoped it would stain. Her back was pressed against hard cement as Chat Noir gripped her shoulder with his free hand and rolled, absorbing the impact of his jump. By the time they'd stopped, Chat Noir's face was inches from hers. It was a position they'd been in many times, usually after they'd knocked each other out of the path of a missile. Except that this time, Chat Noir was not blushing and smirking at her. He was staring intently at her, the hunger in his purple eyes disturbing.

Marinette struggled under his weight, trying to free her arms, which were trapped beneath her body. "Get- off- me!" she panted, as her attempts failed. She kicked her legs, trying to get him off, but he wasn't going anywhere. Desperate, Marinette opened her mouth to scream. Chat quickly smothered her cry before it left her mouth, smirking. Terror began to rise up in a wave inside Marinette, but she couldn't let the akuma sense her fear. Marinette tried to put on a brave face, her breath rattling in her chest. "What do you want?" she yelled up at her akumatized partner. However, he was still covering her mouth with his clawed hand, so it sounded slightly odd. Undeterred, the young girl glared up at her attacker, then opened her mouth once more and tried to bite him. Maybe it wouldn't be very effective, but she was grasping at straws here. Chat somehow anticipated her attempt and cupped his previously flat palm, so her teeth snapped over the air. Marinette winced and tried not to groan in pain as Chat shifted his weight. He was no longer kneeling over her, but completely sitting on the girl, his entire weight pressed onto her midriff. As much as it was bothering Marinette, her main concern was for Tikki. She hoped the little kwami hadn't been hurt by the fall _or_ by Chat Noir.

Marinette tried to think. Chat Noir seemed perfectly content to stay exactly where he was, which wasn't doing her any favours. He was definitely akumatized, so that meant he had both powers and some kind of motivation. Mariette wasn't confident that she'd be able to talk him out of it, and besides, she couldn't exactly form intelligible words or not ones that anyone could hear. That left her with a handful of options. She could either lay there, getting crushed and waiting for help, or she could outsmart Chat Noir, or she could fight her way out. None of her chances seemed particularly good, but Marinette was going to have to take what she was given and try to work with it.

Okay. She could do this. Marinette inhaled deeply, then exhaled, remembering a self-defense class she'd taken years ago. The girl let herself go limp and stopped trying to fight Chat Noir. Then she waited, unmoving and silent. It took a few moments, but just as she'd expected, Chat loosened his hold on her, obviously assuming that she had given up. Marinette counted to five, then began to thrash and claw in an explosion by moving, taking Chat by surprise. He yelped, then tried to fight back, but Marinette was too quick. She managed to roll out from underneath him, groaning and rubbing her stomach, then lunging unsteadily to her feet. After a few shaky steps, Marinette kicked off her heels and ran barefoot, ignoring the harshness of the cement beneath her delicate skin. Three seconds into making her escape, Marinette realized that she was going the wrong way, and spun around to go back into the courtyard.

Chat Noir stood in front of the door, arms crossed and eyes gleaming with quiet satisfaction. She was trapped, and he knew it. There was no way she'd be able to fight him off a second time, not in this get-up. Marinette was already weak and sore. The superheroine bit her lip. She needed to make sure that Tikki was okay, then transform. She'd work out a proper plan later. For now, baby steps.

Marinette turned on her heel and fled, hoping with all her heart that her partner would not give chase. Thankfully, she didn't hear the thud of footsteps or the clash of his staff. She ducked into a side street, heart pounding, desperately gasping for air. Still out of breath, the bluenette reached into her purse and pulled Tikki out, checking her all over. Fortunately, the little kwami was okay, if slightly bruised. Tikki assured Marinette that she would be fine, and gave Marinette the all-clear to transform.

As a rosy glow swirled around the girl, illuminating the dark street, Marinette hoped Chat Noir wouldn't see the light. She needed to know where he was, but he didn't need to know where she was. Although, the akuma could be halfway across the city by now. As much as Marinette adored living in Paris, the sheer size of it could make her job as Ladybug quite difficult.

Her polka-dotted yo-yo materialized from thin air, and Ladybug felt its weight around her hips, its familiarity comforting. The superheroine pulled it from around her waist and spun it around, thinking. Chat could be still at the school- maybe. It was pretty unlikely, but Ladybug was willing to give it a shot. Fighting this akuma would be almost impossible unless she knew what its motivation was. Not to mention the fact that she would be fighting this villain on her own, with no trusty partner to speak of. A lump formed in Ladybug's throat. Sure, she'd fought on her own before, when Chat had been late or was controlled by the akuma. But even then she'd had a sense of security, knowing that eventually, Chat would rejoin her. They'd never failed to defeat an akuma yet.

So why was this one different? Ladybug knew that the reason for her discomfort was probably due to the identity of this akuma. Fighting her partner was never a good experience, and now that Hawkmoth had access to everything, including her and Chat's true identities….well, it didn't exactly level the playing field. Ladybug pushed her shoulders back and tried to arrange her expression into one of bravery. It was just one little akuma. Nothing she hadn't done before. Everything would be fine.

As the red-suited hero swung off towards the school, she wondered if she could somehow force herself to believe that little lie.

MLBMLBMLB

Gabriel Agreste had been Hawkmoth for quite a while now. He'd also akumatized many innocent civilians and generally made things difficult for Ladybug and Chat Noir. After he'd first sent out that akuma, he had realized that he had just infiltrated the mind of one of Paris' beloved superheroes, the famous Chat Noir. Hawkmoth had rubbed his gloved fingers together in glee, sure that he was about to gain access to some _very_ juicy information, and once more make life difficult for poor Ladybug and Chat Noir.

How very wrong he was.

Contrary to what he had originally thought, Ladybug and Chat Noir were actually making life difficult for _him_. Chat Noir's mind, which was chock-full of excellent information, wasn't wielding any secrets. Zilch. Nada. Absolutely nothing. It was like a wall had been put up in the boy's brain, guarding any bit of information that Hawkmoth wanted to know. Instead, he was stuck with the useless bits of memory, like the exact price of the boy's most recent order of camembert. Honestly, who _cared_? And to make things even more difficult, he couldn't always tell what the boy was saying. Usually, he could hear what his victims said, like talking on a phone. But with this akuma, the connection kept dropping out.

However, the wall was a brittle one. With careful precision, Hawkmoth could break through. He supposed the thing blocking him was some sort of defense put up by Chat Noir's miraculous - impossible for a normal civilian to get through, but entirely manageable for a fellow miraculous holder. Then, Hawkmoth could access all the information he could possibly want.

But for now, he'd set his victim on Ladybug. Just for fun, Hawkmoth had decided to leave everything as it was when it came to the boy's abilities. Akumas often struggled to come to terms with their new powers and stuffed up in a spectacular fashion. But Chat Noir had months, if not years of experience with his powers. And his motivation was quite simple. The poor boy just wanted his partner to love him and stay with him. Coaxing him into relinquishing his powers had been relatively easy. All Hawkmoth had to do was assure him that if he got Ladybug's miraculous, she would love him forever and always. Honeyed words poured into the ears of a boy who desperately needed to hear them. Simple, yet effective.

He had always been rather good at persuading people.

 **Back again with another chapter. Hope you enjoy it! I'll be more active as school holidays are coming up. See you next time.**


	40. Chapter 40

Chat wasn't there. Ladybug felt her heart sink as she stared at the front door of the school. Part of her felt relief, the other part disappointment. Although she had no wish to fight her partner, she also knew that the sooner she found him, the better. With a sigh, the superheroine began to twirl her yo-yo again, trying to decide where to look for him next. As she was about to hurl her weapon and zip away, a scream sounded from inside the school.

Ladybug froze and turned slowly. She was torn between investigating the scream and hunting down her akumatized partner. Biting her lip, she began to weigh the option in her head when another shriek pierced the air. The music that had been floating into the street was abruptly cut off, and the party went completely silent. Ladybug waited for something, anything to happen.

The _something_ consisting of a mass of screams and yelling from inside the school. Ladybug hesitated, then ran in, pushing the slightly ajar door open. The scene that greeted her was horrifying. Students dressed to the nines were collapsed on the floor, clutching each other and looking fearful. Among the fray were piles of what looked like ash, each grey heap given a wide berth by the partygoers, except for a few individuals who knelt by the ashes, sobbing. A familiar figure stood tall on top of the DJ's station, twirling his tail with one hand. The other hand was outstretched, with black substance bubbled around his palm. A diabolical grin stretched across the boy's face.

Ladybug gasped, connecting the dots. The dark magic in Chat Noir's hand, the ashy heaps and the sobbing students…

 _What had he done?_

Rage crashed over Ladybug, snatching away all common sense. Ladybug could only think of one thing- punishing the akuma for all the damage he had caused. With a shriek, Ladybug flung her yo-yo, striking Chat Noir in the chest. He stared at her, the smile melting off his face.

Then his grin was back, just as quickly as it had left. "Ladybug!" he called, in a tone of false delight. "How lovely of you to join us."

Pale, tear-stained faces turned to Ladybug, a faint shimmer of hope spreading across them as they gazed at the polka-dotted heroine, standing by the doorway. Ladybug tried to look brave and confident to reassure them, when in reality she'd never been more terrified.

Chat Noir began to speak again, eyes gleaming wickedly. "Would you look at that, Alya?" he called across the room. "Your wish has been granted! Ladybug decided to attend the ball after all." He stared into the depth of the crowd.

Ladybug squinted at the mass of people, trying to pick out her friend's orange dress and expecting the girl to stand up and give Chat Noir a piece of her mind. Instead, a bespectacled boy in a tuxedo stood up, cheeks shining with tears. At his feet was an ashy pile. Ladybug's breath caught in her throat.

The boy, who Ladybug barely recognized without his cap, opened his mouth to speak. "You're a villain," he choked out, wiping his eyes. "I hate you. She didn't deserve this!" Nino glared at the leather-clad akuma and shook his fist furiously.

 _No_ …. Ladybug wanted to sob as she realized exactly what Nino was talking about. With tear-filled eyes, the superheroine stared at the grey heap besides Nino's feet and began to shake. "You- you- you killed her?" she cried, shocked.

Chat Noir shrugged. "I prefer the term 'eliminated'."

Ladybug shook with fury. "What do you _want_?"

Chat narrowed his violet eyes. "You of all people should know that, Ladybug," he spat.

"If I knew, would I really be asking you?"

Chat spun his baton. "Well, I want your miraculous, for one thing."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Predictable as always. Tell Hawkmoth he needs to change it up a bit."

The akuma stretched. "Gladly. Anything else you want me to pass on? Or are you ready to surrender?"

"I'm not surrendering anytime soon, so don't hold your breath. And as for that message-" Ladybug stopped. What if Chat Noir had told Hawkmoth something _really_ important… like her secret identity?

Chat watched her, absently twirling his staff. "Cat got your tongue?"

"What else have you told Hawkmoth?" she said carefully.

"What?"

"Did you tell Hawkmoth our identities?"

A shadow crossed the akuma's face. "Not ye-... I mean, I wanted you to be present when I gave him the news."

Fear gripped Ladybug and held her tight. "Chat Noir, don't do it." She hesitated, then put her hands on her hips. "You'll regret it."

"Oh, will I?" Chat flashed her a smile, then cupped his gloved hands around his mouth. "Hawkmoth!" he yelled. "I've got a gift for youuuu!"

Ladybug charged at him, yo-yo twirling rapidly. She danced around students and piles of ash, intent on stopping the boy in front of her. With a yell, Ladybug launched herself at him, arm outstretched, ready to sucker-punch him in the face.

Chat Noir thrust out his hand, and Ladybug halted suddenly, black magic rippling and bubbling mere centimetres from her face. Chat gave her a devilish smile. "Stop right there, Ladybug," he purred. "I'd ha-"

Ladybug ducked under the akuma's palm and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. Chat Noir slammed into a wall, next to a group of cowering students. They tried to scramble away from him, but the winded akuma stretched out and grabbed the ankle of one unfortunate girl with his non-magic hand.

Cheers began to rise from the partygoers as they chanted Ladybug's name. Ladybug held up her hand for silence and stood triumphantly above her opponent. "You were saying?"

He glared at her. "It won't take much for me to yell out your real name right now for Hawkmoth to hear."

"He won't be able to hear you," said Ladybug, feigning confidence.

"How would you know?" snarled Chat Noir. "You were never akumatized."

"I came pretty close to it, thanks to you!"

Chat snorted. "Yeah, well, there's a big difference between coming close to it and actually _being_ akumatized."

Ladybug rolled her shoulders. "Let's get this over with, then." She began to run at Chat Noir, but he stopped her once more.

"Don't move," he said, holding his shimmering hand above the student's head threateningly. "Or I _will_ eliminate her."

Ladybug froze, her gaze flickering from the akuma to the cheering students. What was she supposed to do?

The girl whimpered, and Ladybug made up her mind.

Time to do some talking.

"So, Chat Noir," she said, twirling her yo-yo lazily. "What was it that you wanted again? Oh, yes, now I remember. My miraculous, right?"

The akuma curled his lip at her.

"Typically, akumas try and take my miraculous. You should know that. So how do you propose on getting it if you're stuck there, holding your hand over that poor girl?"

"I'll get the students to take it," replied Chat Noir.

"We'll never help you!" yelled Nino angrily.

Chat shrugged. "Your choice. Of course, that means this girl will meet the same fate as the blogger, Alya."

The superheroine bit her lip and tried to stay calm. She was the clever, strong, loved Ladybug of Paris, who always saved the day. Today was no exception. There _was_ a solution.

"I have a better idea," said Ladybug. "How about a trade?"

Chat looked vaguely interested. "What kind of trade are we talking about?"

"It's quite simple," replied Ladybug, thinking on her feet. "You answer….let's say... _three_ questions, and I give you my miraculous. You'll be able to hand it over to Hawkmoth, and he'll reward you with whatever your heart desires. A win-win situation." She did her best to smile at him.

Chat stroked his chin. "While it sounds extremely beneficial for me, I am dealing with Ladybug here. What's in it for you, and what terms and conditions haven't you mentioned? You forget that I know you. I won't be fooled so easily."

"I didn't expect you to be. You also forget that I know you, Chat Noir," answered Ladybug coolly. "As for your questions, well, there's nothing in it for me. I can't defeat you, so what's the point in trying? And besides, I'd like to know your intentions. Terms and conditions? None, except that you must answer the questions truthfully. If you evade them, I get to ask another question. Deal?"

The akuma considered, weighing the bargain. Finally, he smiled. "It's a deal, my lady."

"You've lost the privilege of giving me nicknames. Now, shake." Ladybug held out her gloved hand, heart pounding wildly.

Chat Noir nodded, and slipped his hand into hers, shaking it. "Done."

"I hold you to it. Now, first question. Why were you akumatized?"

Chat Noir shrugged. "What can I say? You hurt me, and I was upset. I tried to apologize. You wouldn't accept that I made mistakes. I suppose I was wrong in thinking that you didn't hold grudges," he added bitterly. "Hawkmoth got wind of it, and akumatized me."

Ladybug nodded. "Second question. What did Hawkmoth promise you?"

"The ability to keep you in my life. If I give him your miraculous, he will...arrange it so that you will never leave me."

"Okay. And final question." Ladybug inhaled deeply. "Where is the location of your akuma?"

The villain hesitated. "I don't know."

Ladybug was on her feet faster than anyone could blink. "You swore to answer the questions truthfully!"

Chat held up his hands. "I _am_ answering it truthfully! I don't know where it is. I never saw it coming."

Ladybug walked closer to him, and put her face _very_ close to his. She could feel his breath on her face, hot and panting. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course! Why would I lie?"

Ladybug stood back. "Never mind."

A slow smile crept across the akuma's face. "Your end of the deal is complete. Now you must complete mine." He held out his gloved hand. "Your earrings."

Ladybug covered her ears with her hands. "Do you love me, Chat Noir?"

He blinked. "I-I- you had your three questions. Now give me the earrings!"

Ladybug smiled sweetly at him. "You'll get them eventually. Just one little question. What have you got to lose?"

He growled. "Yes, I do."

"Really, truly love me?" she pressed.

"Yes!"

"Then why are you making me do this?" asked the superheroine. "You don't need Hawkmoth for us to be together. Just let me free you from all this, and I promise I'll stay with you forever." A hollow promise, but the akuma didn't need to know that.

"Would you?" Chat breathed, face lighting up. "Would you really?"

Ladybug nodded. A purple mask glowed around Chat face, and Ladybug knew Hawkmoth was steppin in, trying to talk him back into rage and despair.

Chat looked up, his eyes furious again. "I don't believe you. Hawkmoth is the best thing for me. Now, give me your miraculous!"

"No! I will never surrender to you!"

"Then this girl, and all of these students, will be no more. How would you like to be the cause of your friends' deaths?" Chat Noir raised his clawed hand up, and brought it down on the weeping girl's head.

Or at least, where the girl's head had been.

Fury flashed across the akuma's face as he scanned the courtyard and realized what had happened. He'd been so distracted by Ladybug that he hadn't noticed the students quietly slipping out and running for their lives. All that was left was crushed soft drink cans and the ashy piles that had once been people. He let out a roar, and leapt to his feet. "You witch!" he screamed. "Give me your earrings, or you'll be dust like your friends!"

"You could never catch me," countered Ladybug, backing away from her fuming former partner. "You would be eating my dust, not turning me into it."

"There's other things I could do, you know," he growled. "Worse things."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

Chat Noir gave her a smile, teeth flashing. "Well, your secret identity? Guess who now knows it."

 **Hiiiiiii, guys. It's ya girl, back again. Hope you liked it. Just to clear something up, Chat Noir is now the akumatized form of himself, except his name has not changed, and his appearance differs only slightly, in that his previously green eyes are now purple. In other words, he is being possessed by Hawkmoth. Hope that helped, and please tell me if I need to improve! Your support and advice is much appreciated!**


	41. Chapter 41

Ladybug gasped, staring at her former partner. Even though he'd been threatening to do it, Ladybug had never actually thought he would tell Hawkmoth her civilian identity. Surely he wasn't _that_ evil.

But apparently Chat Noir was that evil, because Hawkmoth now knew her identity, and Ladybug hated to think of what he would do now. Unless Chat Noir was just bluffing, which was unlikely. He had 'eliminated' dozens of students, all in the name of Hawkmoth. Ladybug must have really hurt him. But she couldn't dwell on that now. After she had freed the akuma and tossed her Lucky Charm up, she could talk things through with him. Speaking of Lucky Charms….

Ladybug backed away from the akuma, yo-yo at the ready in case he made a sudden move. He watched her with glowing violet eyes, face twisted with hate. The amount of emotion on his face was alarming, and Ladybug tried to make herself believe that Hawkmoth was amplifying his emotions, and he didn't actually detest her, because right now he looked like he was prepared to kill her. For someone who wanted her to be with him forever, he seemed pretty opposed to her presence.

The spotted heroine continued to move away from her former partner, watching him as he watched her. Once she was a good distance away from him and comfortably close to the exit, Ladybug tossed her weapon into the air. "Lucky Charm!"

Chat Noir gave a furious yowl and got to his feet, rushing at the spotted heroine, swatting at the pink magic swirling around her. Ladybug's eyes widened in fear, but she managed to catch the item that fell from the sky, a product of her magic. The girl brandished the object at the akuma, without even looking to see what it was. For all she knew, she could be threatening him with a butter knife. The akuma skidded to a halt, staring at the Lucky Charm. Ladybug peered at it.

"A magnet?" scoffed Chat Noir. "How do you plan on stopping me with a _magnet_?" Despite his scornful tone, Ladybug could tell he was scared. Sensibleof him, as he had watched her take down dozens of akumas with _much_ stranger objects than a magnet.

Ladybug had no idea how to use the Lucky Charm. She didn't even know where the akuma was. But she couldn't let Chat know that. Instead, she gave him a sweet smile and stepped forward, still holding the magnet in her outstretched hand. "Would you like to find out?"

Chat blinked and looked uncertain. "You don't have a plan."

"I wouldn't be too sure about it, Chat Noir." Ladybug ran a gloved hand along the cool metal of her Lucky Charm. "Do you _really_ want to stick around and see what this little magnet and I can do?"

The akuma took a wary step back, and Ladybug's grin grew wider. He was too scared to call her bluff, which was exactly what Ladybug wanted. She raised the magnet above her head, as though she was about to throw it. The ex-superhero flinched and scrambled past her, straight through the door and onto the pavement outside. Ladybug sprinted after him, still gripping the magnet tightly as she gave chase. However, it was dark outside, and the moon and stars were blanketed by heavy clouds. The streetlights could only do so much, and it wasn't long before the akuma melted into the night, effectively losing his chaser. With a frustrated growl, the spotted superheroine slowed to a stop on a supermarket roof. She glanced around in vain for Chat Noir, but found nothing. The girl sat, holding her Lucky Charm in her lap and running her hands over the magnet, hoping to find a hidden compartment, a secret button, anything that might make her impossible task easier.

She found nothing.

Ladybug sank onto her back, so she was lying down, staring at the starless sky. She had no idea what to do. She was alone, about to detransform, and her family and friends were now at the mercy of Hawkmoth as well as being in grave danger, along with everyone else in Paris. She covered her face with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to cry. She had to be strong now, a rock for the Parisians. No doubt they would be terrified once they discovered that one of their beloved guardians was being controlled by Hawkmoth. And they would probably find out any second now. Alya could always be trusted to get news up as quickly as possible…

Except Alya couldn't put anything up on the Ladyblog, realized Ladybug, feeling another wave of hopelessness smother her. Because Alya was dead, a pile of ashes in the school courtyard. Her blood stained the hands of none other than Ladybug's rouge ex-partner. Anger replaced her hopelessness. Chat Noir would not harm any more of Ladybug's loved ones, or anyone else for that matter. Ladybug stood up, holding her magnet firmly.

Chat Noir was going down.

MLBMLBMLB

Ladybug dropped into an alley to release her transformation. The second she felt her crimson mask leave her face, Marinette was digging in her purse for a cookie and passing it to Tikki, who looked both exhausted and concerned. _Very_ concerned.

As the little kwami nibbled on her sweet treat, she gazed worriedly at her chosen. "Marinette, this is bad," she squeaked, swallowing. "We don't even know where the akuma _is_."\

"Don't worry, Tikki," replied Marinette, tapping away at her phone. "I might have an idea."

"And what about Hawkmoth?" asked Tikki. "Now that he knows your identity, he's going to do whatever he can to bring you down, like target your family and friends."

Marinette nodded. "No worries. I'll stop by the bakery as soon as I transform back, make sure everything's fine." She scanned her phone screen, reading quickly. After a few moments, she looked up at her kwami. "Tikki?"

"Mmm?" Tikki chewed on the remainder of her cookie.

"Can my Miraculous healing spell reverse death?"

Tikki sighed and carefully wiped cookie crumbs from her little mouth. 'Marinette, I'm sorry. Many Ladybugs have tried to bring people back from the dead. Parents, siblings, friends, sweethearts. Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't. I don't know why, and haven't figured out a pattern. It's possible, but….not probable. I'm sorry about Alya, Marinette."

Marinette gasped in shock, shoulders shaking. For a few moments, she stood still, head bowed and eyes closed. Then she looked up at her waiting kwami. "If that's true, then _nothing_ can happen to my parents," she said quietly. "Come on, Tikki. We've got a cat to catch."

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir wasn't scared of Ladybug. There was no way that silly girl could compete with the power of Hawkmoth. Chat should have joined with the man _years_ ago. Chat could have had endless power, and everything he'd ever wanted. Now that Chat had given Hawkmoth valuable information, the villain was willing to join forces and share power with him.

And now Chat was about to hand him the ladybug Miraculous. The power of creation and luck. What more could someone want? After this, Chat would have his wish. Ladybug would stay with him forever.

Chat stared down at the bakery. So warm and bright, a place of joy for so many. It would be sorely missed by Parisians, but that couldn't be helped. Nothing could stand in Hawkmoth's way. Including Ladybug, but she wouldn't be a problem. Not after she swung up to check on her parents, and saw Chat on the roof, hand poised, ready to turn the place to ashes. With any luck, the Dupain-Chengs would still be inside, and Chat would have the pleasure of seeing pure despair on his lady's face.

But first Ladybug had to show up. Both Chat and Hawkmoth were confident she would. She would be crazy and selfish not to. All he had to do was wait.

MLBMLBMLB

Ladybug wasn't stupid. She knew Chat would be at the bakery, ready to commit some horrendous crime to break her. After almost a year of battling Hawkmoth, the heroine knew him well. She just had to sneak into the bakery and evacuate it. No-one was going to get hurt- not on her watch. Yo-yo in one hand and magnet in the other, Ladybug stole through the dimly lit streets, eyes fixed on the bakery. Just as she had suspected, Chat Noir stood on the roof, his hand bubbling with magic. His purple eyes scanned the area, searching for Ladybug. His tail waved lazily in the breeze.

Ladybug took a deep breath, and began to search for clues. Nothing came to her, and she realized she was too far away. If she wanted to work out how to use the magnet, she needed to get closer. It would be difficult and dangerous, but it was Ladybug's job to take risks. Anything to keep civilians safe, even if it put her own life in danger. The spotted girl looked up at the akuma, who was still stalking the rooftop of her home. It was now or never, because Chat Noir was sure to lose patience soon enough.

Ladybug waited until the akuma had turned his back and dashed across the street, footsteps light and barely audible. However, Ladybug knew her former partner's cat-like hearing could pick up the slightest of noises. She was walking on thin ice here, but it was necessary. She had to get her parents and their customers out of there. Her healing spell would fix the building if Chat Noir used his Cataclysm on it, but if Tikki's information was correct, the Dupain-Chengs and bakery patrons might lose their lives. There was no way Ladybug would allow that.

She pressed her back against the front of the shop, knowing the awning would hide her from Chat Noir if he stayed on the roof. If he chose to investigate the noise, Ladybug was in hot water. The heroine waited, heart beating erratically as she tried to keep her cool. After several moments, Ladybug turned to push open the door to the bakery, careful in the amount of pressure she applied to the door, just in case she pushed too hard and made a noise. She had it half open when she realized her mistake, but the wheels were already in motion and it was too late to stop herself. With a horribly heavy certainty weighing on her, Ladybug knew she was stuffed.

A pretty, delicate noise slipped through the previously silent night air as Ladybug cursed herself. There was no way Chat hadn't heard that noise, unless he was currently boiling his head in oil. Why, why, _why_ did her parents have to have a bell on their bakery door?

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir had seen it coming. His heightened cat senses had picked up the patter of footsteps a few minutes ago, and while he'd known it could have simply been an innocent pedestrian, he had also known his lady. She was far too loyal for her own good, and Chat Noir was certain she'd drop by her family home to check on her parents. Besides, what kind of civilian ran across the street, clearly trying to be as quiet as possible? No one, unless they were being stalked, which wasn't common in this area. Right next door to the bakery was a prestigious school attended by none other than the mayor's daughter, a supermodel, and the daughter of one of Paris' best chefs. Except the chef's daughter no longer attended the school, nor would she ever take another lesson inside the building again.

The tinkling sound was clearly audible in the crisp night air, and clearly distinguishable as the sound of a bell. The kind of bell shopkeepers kept above the entrance to their stores, so it would alert them once a customer entered. Useful things, especially in this instance. While it hadn't notified Chat Noir of a client, it had told him the whereabouts of Ladybug. Exactly what he needed.

Chat flexed his fingers before slowly pulling out his baton. He was in no hurry to go down to the street level. He had Ladybug right where he wanted her. She was like a fly stuck in his web.

And soon, he would have her earrings.

 **Hi again. Sorry about the late update, I took a road trip and had no WiFi to upload this. I typed most of it in the car, so there will be a few errors. Thanks for your patience, and let me know what you think!**


	42. Chapter 42

Maybe she was about to be caught. Maybe she knew she was about to spend the rest of her life at Hawkmoth's mercy. But that didn't mean Ladybug was about to give up anytime soon. She was going to keep going as long as there was breath in her body. Now that Chat Noir knew she was there, Ladybug saw no point in being quiet. She skidded into the bakery, and everyone inside looked up immediately.

"Ladybug?" asked Sabine, handing a customer change and rushing over to her. "What's going on? Is everything all right?"

Ladybug ignored her mother, scanning the room. "Where's D- your husband?" she demanded.

Sabrine looked surprised at her sharp tone. "He's in the back," she responded with a frown. "Ladybug, is something wrong?"

 _Yes, there's a murderous akuma on your roof and he's about to break this entire building_ was what Ladybug wanted to say. But after months of experience, she knew civilians wouldn't react well to the blatant truth. She didn't want them to start running around like headless chickens. That would only make Chat Noir's job easier and hers much harder. She had to tell them a watered-down version of the truth, something that would prevent the customers and her parents from impersonating decapitated poultry.

"There's an akuma on the loose, and I need to evacuate you," she said, as calmly as possible.

Sabine's eyes widened fearfully, but she nodded. "I'll get Tom from the back."

Once she had left, a voice piped up from somewhere on Ladybug's right. "If there's an akuma, why aren't you fighting it?" asked a sneering voice. "Wouldn't _that_ be slightly more helpful than interrupting me from my dinner?"

Ladybug's nerves were about as frayed as they could possibly get, and the man's snide remark was the last straw. She whipped around, her smile as sweet as the glazed doughnut the guy was stuffing his face with. "You know what? You're right, that _would_ be more helpful," she cooed. "I'll just go out there and fight him because there's no way I would want to interrupt your dinner. I hope you've got all your affairs in order, though, because said akuma just happens to on top of this building, and he's about to destroy this entire building, with you in it. But don't worry, I'm sure there's a napkin around for you to write your will on." She began to stalk towards the door.

"Wait!" cried a young woman on the other side of the bakery. "Ladybug, please help us!"

Ladybug softened. Just because one idiot doubted her, didn't mean she had to abandon everyone. She shook her head to clear it and offered the woman a smile. "Of course I'll help you," she replied. "Everyone, leave everything where it is and run to the park. I'll meet you there." As everyone rushed for the exit, Ladybug ran to the back of the bakery, nearly colliding with her parents. "Sir, madam, I need you to go straight to the park. I'll let you know when it's safe to come back."

Sabine shook her head wildly, clutching her husband's arm. "Please, Ladybug...it's our daughter. Marinette. She was at her school dance, just across the road. We need to make sure she's safe."

The dark-haired superheroine did her best to swallow the lump in her throat. "Marinette's fine," she said kindly. "The students have been evacuated. I think...I think Marinette went with her friends."

"Why would she do that?" asked Tom with a frown. "We're not even a hundred metres away from the school."

Ladybug shrugged. "Safety in numbers?" she suggested feebly. "But there's no time to stand around. Your daughter would want you to be safe. Quickly, come with me!" She turned and began to run towards the exit, glancing back to make sure her parents were following her. The heroine flung open the door, not caring about the ringing of the bell, and ushered the bakers out into the crisp, moonless night. The girl stuck her pigtailed head inside, briefly checking that everyone was out, then slammed the door shut and pushed the pair further away from the bakery so that if the building did come down, they wouldn't be in danger.

As she began to run after them, a sudden shock shuddered through her, sending the girl sprawling onto the road. With a groan, she rolled over, only to have a blunt pole slam into her midriff. She shrieked as pain pulsed through her, and heard the horrified gasps of the bakery patrons. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let out a shaky sob, then tried to stop the tears. She couldn't show any weakness, not when she was wearing the mask, and especially not today, when she had to be strong for everyone. With an effort, she pushed herself up onto her elbows and cracked open her eyelids, only to be pushed back down by the same pole in the same place. The heroine cried out, curling into a ball and hugging her knees, trying to protect herself from further attacks.

"Ladybug!" cried Sabine from behind her. "Get away from her, you brute!"

Chat Noir, though Ladybug blurrily. He had done this to her. He was here, and he was a threat to the innocent civilians behind her. She needed to get up and fight him, needed to show Paris that she was worthy of their trust, that she could protect them from anything.

But she couldn't get up. Couldn't move to fight her partner. Could only breathe, and even that hurt. She was exhausted in every way possible. Chat Noir had won. Hawkmoth had won. She could not go on.

 _Marinette!_ Tikki's voice, faint yet audible in the superheroine's mind. _Your Lucky Charm! Use it!_

Her magnet. That horribly useless, stupid, frustrating magnet that would apparently save them all.

Well, it was worth a shot.

Ladybug opened her eyes, feeling for the magnet tied at her waist. Her fingers met the cool surface, and she began to look everywhere for a flash of red and black.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Footsteps tapped close to her head, and she instinctively curled into an even tighter ball, trembling with fear.

"Yes," breathed Chat Noir. "The earrings of the ladybug...finally."

The spotted girl felt his clawed hand tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, almost tenderly. A leather-covered thumb brushed her cheek gently.

"Such a shame I have to do this," he whispered, a hint of remorse in his tone. "I so wish there was another way, my lady."

With the last of her strength, Ladybug turned to look at her partner's hand, dangerously close to her Miraculous. Instantly, a flash of colour caught her attention as the boy's steel ring flared crimson, dotted with black spots. Without thinking, she whipped her Lucky Charm up next to his gloved hand and heard the sound of something hitting the road beside her. She snatched up the magnet, and to her immense relief, saw the cat Miraculous clinging onto it. Strength seeped back into her, and ignoring the pain, Ladybug got to her feet, clutching her prize tightly. With weary eyes, she watched as her ex-partner's mouth fell open and he stared at his newly ringless hand.

 _Destroy it, Marinette_ , whispered her kwami. Smiling at Chat, she let the jewellery fall, then stepped on it, feeling it crack as she pressed her full weight onto it. Darkness began to bubble around her, and with one last piece of energy, Ladybug hurled that blessed magnet into the starless sky. "Miraculous Ladybug," she croaked, before collapsing again, completely exhausted.

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir watched as the magnet rose up, then fell back down. He lunged for it, despite knowing that there was nothing he could do to reverse the healing spell. Ladybug had said the magic words. It was over. He would turn back into his normal self, and Ladybug would leave him. She'd find a new partner, one that wouldn't break her heart.

His hands closed around the magnet as it fell, and he rolled across the road, clutching it to his chest. Something sharp dug into the small of his back. Chat moved and found it to be his ring, even more shattered now. He gazed at it. It made sense for the akuma to have hidden in his ring. After all, it was the source of all his power. And now it was broken.

There was a thud from behind him. Slowly, Chat Noir turned to see the source of the noise. His partner lay metres away from him, sprawled on the road. One of her ribbons was missing, and her face was smudged and dirty. The people who had been inside the bakery were gathering around her, checking for a pulse, for broken bones, for signs that she was okay. Chat watched them silently. He should be over there, helping his partner, caring for her.

Suddenly, the magnet he had been clutching melted into a pool of swirling pink light, which split and began to branch off in dozens of directions. Chat knew what it was. He'd see it dozens, if not hundreds of times. His lady's healing spell would whoosh through Paris, and everything would be as good as new. Or perhaps, not quite everything…

He didn't have time to finish his thought. The pink magic surrounded him, wiping his mind clean.

MLBMLBMLB

Paris' superheroine woke to find herself surrounded by concerned faces. Two were familiar. The rest were not.

"Step back," commanded a deep, booming voice. "She needs space."

The faces disappeared from her view. Now all she could see was a thick layer of grey. The sky, she realized. With a groan, she sat up, rubbing her stomach, wincing as her fingers passed over a particular place. She carefully and slowly looked around.

Ladybug was sitting in the middle of the road. It was a dark night, with no moon or stars to be seen. There was a nearby streetlight, washing the pavement in golden light. A few metres away from her was a wall of people of varying ages, all looking anxious. Slightly closer to her was a tall, large man and a petite woman with soft eyes. Her parents.

The hero's eyes wandered past the crowd and landed on a black shape, fifty paces away. It resembled a human. Perhaps they needed help. Gingerly, the girl stood, wobbling slightly for a few moments before finding her balance. She began to walk shakily towards the black object. One of the civilians, a smartly dressed man, grabbed her arm. "Ladybug, are you sure you want to go over there?"

She smiled at him, gently pulling her arm out of his loose grip. "Yes, I'm sure."

"I just don't think it's safe," he tried.

Ladybug shrugged. "Well, I think it is. I'll be fine. Just stay here." She addressed the last part to everyone. They nodded solemnly.

With quiet footsteps, Ladybug approached the figure, walking around one side of it so it could see her coming and wouldn't be startled. As she got closer, Ladybug could see a few short silken locks of golden hair peeking out from beneath a dark hood. As she got closer still, the spotted superheroine could see that the person was wearing a black tracksuit, its hood shadowing their face. Ladybug had a pretty good idea of who she would see if she lifted the hood, but she wouldn't do it now. If the CCTV cameras captured this, it would be very, very bad.

Carefully, Ladybug knelt behind the boy, with her back to the onlookers. The hero gathered him gently in her arms, flinching slightly as pressure was applied to her stomach. Making sure to keep his face covered by his hood, she beckoned Tom and Sabine over. The came quickly, both looking concerned.

"Are you all right? Do you need help?" asked Tom immediately.

Ladybug nodded. "I need somewhere warm with first-aid gear, and preferably no security cameras. Do you know anywhere like that around here?"

Sabine nodded. "Yes, our living room. I'll take you up there."

Ladybug smiled. "Perfect." She began to follow her mother, when she felt a large hand on her shoulder.

"I'll carry him, Ladybug," offered Tom, reaching out his arms. But Ladybug shook her head.

"I don't doubt your ability to do so, sir, but for safety reasons, I'll continue to carry him."

Tom nodded, and Ladybug continued on her way, pausing at the back of the bakery.

"Up the stairs, and then it's the first door on the right," instructed Sabine, handing her a box of supplies. If you need help, just shout out. We'll be down in the bakery, and I promise we won't disturb you."

"Thank you, you've been incredibly helpful." Ladybug pecked the woman's cheek, then carefully shifted her load's weight in preparation for the climb up the stairs.

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	43. Chapter 43

Ladybug had never felt like a stranger in her own home before. Despite having lived in this house for her entire life, she suddenly felt like it was the home of a stranger. Maybe it was because of the suit and mask, or maybe it was because of the limp, black-clad boy in her arms.

But it couldn't stop her from caring for the boy. Strange feeling or not, he was her main priority. Ladybug bent down and placed him gently on the couch. Without hesitation, she slowly lifted the hood away from his face, knowing that there was no cameras or recording devices in the room. Ladybug let out a gasp as the boy's face came into the light, even though it was what she had been expecting all along. It was just shocking to fully realize that it really was her partner who had been terrorizing Paris not half an hour ago.

Shocking as it was, Adrien needed help, medical help. She was no nurse, but she'd been taught basic first aid by her mother. That would have to be enough for her partner because there was no way Ladybug could call up help from a citizen. The risk of them recognizing Adrien and connecting the dots was too great. Ladybug was all on her own, unless the boy woke up. Knowing him, he would have a complete knowledge of first aid, not just the basics. As Paris' guardian, that was probably something she should know as well, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

Ladybug carefully removed Adrien's dark hoodie and set it aside. It was cold out, and he would need it later on. Underneath, he wore a plain white shirt that could have come from anywhere. There was no designer names or special features on it. His hoodie was simple too. Ladybug shrugged. Who cared what he wore? That wasn't important right now. Ladybug pulled a clean antiseptic wipe from the first-aid kit and ran it over Adrien's face and neck, clearing away the dirt and blood. She took another for his arms, then stood back to assess the damage. Several cuts and bruises on his arms, and a similar situation on his face.

It occurred to Ladybug that she should probably remove his shirt, just in case there were more wounds. At least she had the comfort of knowing the that the injuries would be minor. Her healing spell tended to fix the larger wounds but passed over the nicks and scrapes. She hoped it had done so to Adrien, because if she came across a busted rib or broken leg, she would _not_ be in a good position to help him. Most of all, she wanted Adrien to wake up. At least that way, she would know if he was doing alright. If he was concussed, she had almost no way of knowing.

Or did she? Ladybug was no nurse or doctor, but she was pretty sure there would be a bruise or mark of some kind on Adrien's head if he was indeed suffering from a concussion. Gingerly, she began to run her fingers over his scalp, hand gliding through his soft hair. After a minute or two of this, Ladybug was fairly certain that Adrien did not have a concussion, but they only way to really confirm that was by talking with him. Ladybug had done all she could for him, and her next goal was to get him awake. There were multiple ways of doing that, but she needed a way that would be gentle and wouldn't shock him.

Crouching down so that she was level with Adrien's ear, Ladybug leaned forward. "Adrien," she whispered in his ear. "Adrien, wake up."

No reaction. Ladybug repeated herself, increasing her volume slightly. "Adrien!" she said forcefully. "Wake up!"

The boy didn't move. Ladybug took a bottle of water from the kit, removed the cap and poured some of the clear liquid onto her partner's face. His nose twitched, but he didn't wake up.

Ladybug slumped back onto the floor, gazing up at the ceiling. Why couldn't he just wake up? She was so tempted to call for her mother's help but wasn't sure if it was right. Her mother would surely recognise Adrien, and it wouldn't take her long to associate him with another green-eyed, blonde-haired, black-clad boy that Ladybug usually ran around with. And it would be half impossible to keep Adrien's face covered the entire time. No, she wouldn't ask for help yet. Ladybug would wait a while, let him rest. Perhaps he was just tired.

She pulled out her yo-yo and checked the time, wincing at the sudden brightness. She would give Adrien half an hour to sleep, and then she'd go downstairs. Everything would be fine.

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As glowing white wings fluttered softly around in the darkness, Hawkmoth knelt on the ground, fists clenched and eyes tightly shut. His breathing was heavy, echoing around the chamber and mixing with the sound of flapping. His knees and joints were aching, as he'd been in the position for close to half an hour, completely still.

The villain reached for the brooch on his chest and unpinned it carefully. Clutching the piece in his gloved hand, he drew back his arm and hurled the Miraculous away. It landed somewhere in the lair and caused a cacophony of frantic flapping as it fell amongst the butterflies. Hawkmoth's suit slowly melted away, until he was left in his civilian attire. Gabriel Agreste stood, smoothing his jacket.

"I was so close, Nooroo," he said quietly. "So very, very close. Why did I not succeed?"

Nooroo emerged from the gloom of the lair, trembling with fear. "I don't know, sir," he mumbled. "There must be s-some mistake."

Gabriel stomped his foot, just like an angry toddler would. It should have been comical, but Nooroo feared his master too much to laugh. Instead, he floated in front of the man, shaking.

"Time and time again, I have failed," muttered Gabriel. "I did not think I would fail again."

"There's always next time, master."

Gabriel flashed around, fire in his eyes. "Silence!"

Nooroo went white. "Y-y-yes, master."

Gabriel began to pace, muttering under his breath. "I must not give up," he said. "I must plan, more carefully this time. Ladybug and Chat Noir will not succeed again."

"Did you retrieve any information from Chat Noir?" asked Nooroo tentatively.

"As a matter of fact, I did-" Gabriel frowned. "That's odd. I thought- I thought there was something, but...it seems to have disappeared."

Nooroo was often called useless by his master, but little did the man know that Nooroo possessed great powers. It was because of these powers that Nooroo could see the red and black trail of magic winding away from his master, and the little kwami understood that the Miraculous Cure had wiped his master's mind clean of the information.

Nooroo smiled as his master frowned, for he knew the other kwamis were safe.

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Ladybug had been planning to wake Adrien. Instead, he woke her.

Her eyes fluttered open as someone shook her shoulder gently. Groaning, she propped herself up onto her elbows, blinking. A pair of green eyes stared down at her, and Ladybug sat up so fast she almost headbutted Adrien in the face.

"You're awake!" she cried. "Are you alright?"

Adrien nodded, hair flopping over his face. "Yeah, thanks to you."

"It was nothing." Ladybug stood and stretched. She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated.

Adrien saw her uncertainty and sighed. "Marinette, can I talk to you?"

Ladybug bit her lip. She wanted to go and see her parents, and check on the students. Most of all, she wanted to know that Alya was alive. "Can it wait a minute?" she asked. "I really have to make a call. It's urgent."

"I- uh, yeah. Sure." Adrien began to back away. "You want privacy?"

Ladybug considered. "No, you can stay." She pulled out her yo-yo and dialed a familiar number. The phone rang once, twice, three times. On the fourth ring, someone picked up, and Ladybug felt her heart jump into her throat. "A-Alya?" she squeaked. "Is that you?"

"Yeah." There was a pause. "Who's this?"

Ladybug wanted to cry, but worked to keep her voice steady. "This is Ladybug. Are you okay?"

There was a loud shriek and a thud. After a bit of rustling, Alya spoke again. "Oh my goodness, Ladybug! I'm okay, I feel great! How'd you get my number, anyway?"

"Um, I have my ways. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Absolutely, why?"

"I'll explain later, Alya. But thank you. I have to go."

"Oh. Well, okay! It was nice talking to you. Bye!"

"Bye." Ladybug smiled softly as she hung up. Turning around, she saw Adrien looking at the framed photographs on the bookshelf. She watched as he reached out and gently traced ten-year-old Marinette's cheek as she beamed, hugging her mother. Slowly, the superheroine joined him in front of the bookcase.

"You wanted to talk?" she asked softly. He jumped, startled, and went red, quickly drawing his hand back from the photograph.

"Uh, yeah." He scratched the back of his head. "Do you want to, um, sit down?"

Ladybug nodded and followed him to the lounge, sitting opposite him. "So," she said, watching him carefully.

"So." Adrien twisted his hands together, and for a moment there was silence.

"I'm sorry," they said in unison, then stared in shock.

"I'm sorry for not forgiving you," began Ladybug. "I'm sorry for running away. I'm sorry for ignoring you, and not trusting you, and for not being a good friend. I'm just really sorry, and I don't expect you to forgive me."

"I'm sorry too," said Adrien. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset, and I should have thought about the consequences of my actions. And I completely understand, which is why I forgive you. We're both at fault, and we need to put this behind us and work as a team. Okay?"

"Okay." Ladybug thought her heart might burst with joy. Her friends were alive, and she hadn't lost her partner. Adrien was right, they were both at fault. But he was also right in saying that they had to learn from their mistakes and move on. "But first, there's something I want to clear up."

Adrien looked confused. "What?"

"I want to explain something. I- I _do_ love you, both as Adrien and Chat Noir. I'm sorry for hurting you when we were superheroes. I knew you liked me, and I shouldn't have led you on. I- ugh, this is confusing. Long story short, I value you a lot, Adrien. And I want things to go back to normal as much as possible. Partners?" She held out her gloved hand.

"Partners." Adrien knocked his knuckle against hers. "But about the other thing, I feel the same way. But so much is going on, and people might get suspicious if we suddenly start dating like _that_." Adrien snapped his fingers. "So how about we take it slow?"

"Agreed." Ladybug smiled at him. "I'll meet you at the usual spot early tomorrow morning. Four o'clock?"

"Four o'clock it is." He smiled back. "I'm glad we're okay."

"So am I." Ladybug stretched her arms. "So, how about you transform into Chat, and sneak out while I go downstairs and talk to my parents?"

"Sounds good to me." Adrien grinned at her. "I'll see you later, my lady."

"Bye." Ladybug waved at him, then made her way down to the bakery, doing her best to conceal her smile.

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 **Hi, guys. I want to apologize for the amount of cheesiness in the last part. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	44. Chapter 44

Tom and Sabine were no fools, and Ladybug could tell that her parents knew exactly who she had carried up the stairs. At least they didn't know his civilian identity. Ladybug would much rather have them telling people that Chat Noir had been carried into their apartment by her than have them saying that Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir. Despite their obvious suspicions, they still treated her with kindness and respect, and when Ladybug asked them not to talk about her 'friend', they nodded and agreed. The heroine knew they were being honest. Her parents were not liars.

As much as Ladybug would have loved to slip upstairs and fall into bed, her duty as a hero forced her to stay and help her parents restore order. She answered questions, moved tables and chairs back into place, and made a call to the mayor of Paris, Andre Bourgeois, requesting permission to hold a press conference early the next morning. He agreed somewhat sleepily, and the superheroine made a mental note to tell Chat Noir about it. Thanking the mayor, who she had clearly woken up, Ladybug returned to assisting her parents. As she talked to a distraught citizen, Ladybug made the mistake of yawning loudly, which her mother immediately picked up.

"Ladybug, I know you're a superhero," said Sabine gently, after the customer had left. "But you're quite plainly exhausted. And underneath that mask, I'm sure you're human as well. Which means you need rest. Tom and I can take care of all of this. I assume you're going to address the city about this soon?"

Ladybug nodded wearily. "Tomorrow morning," she said.

"Well, you want to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the reporters. Really, Ladybug, it's fine." Sabine smiled warmly at the red-suited girl. "Except…"

"Except what?"

Sabine sighed. "Our daughter, Marinette. She was at her school dance, and we don't know where she is. She isn't picking up her phone."

"Don't worry, Ms. Cheng," answered Ladybug. "All the students are safe. Would you like me to bring Marinette home?"

"That would be wonderful." The petite woman hugged Ladybug tightly. "Thank you very much."

"It's no trouble." Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and began to walk towards the door. "I'll see you soon."

Once she was a fair distance from the bakery, Ladybug ducked into a tiny space between two buildings. "Tikki, spots off."

Her red and black suit melted away and with a _pop_ , Tikki fell into her chosen's cupped hands, so exhausted she could barely open her eyes.

"Good job, Marinette," croaked the kwami. Marinette smiled.

"You too, Tikki. I promise we'll be home soon." She stepped out onto the path, and immediately remembered that she had heels and was wearing a ball gown. Ugh. Even her costume, which wasn't the most modest of outfits, was better than this. Sighing, Marinette dragged herself down the street towards the brightly lit bakery and pushed open the door.

"Hi, Mama. Hi, P-"

" _Marinette_!" A small, dark-haired blur rushed at her, wrapping her arms tightly around the girl's middle. "Oh, I'm so glad you're safe! Tom! Tom! Marinette's here!"

Marinette father lumbered out from behind the counter. "Marinette!" He crushed his wife and daughter in a massive hug. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Papa," laughed Marinette. "It's good to see you too."

Sabine let go of her daughter and surveyed her, looking worried. "Oh, Marinette!" she cried. "Your beautiful dress!"

The raven-haired girl glanced down. Her skirt was torn and muddy, which made sense, considering the number of times she had fallen or had run in the dress. It would be a pain to fix, and probably a pain to clean, but it wasn't impossible. With some hard work and a bit of luck, the gown would look as good as new.

"Don't worry, Mama," smiled Marinette. "It's an easy fix. No worries."

Sabine raised her thin eyebrows. "You seem very positive, dear."

Marinette shrugged. "I'm just glad the attack is over," she said truthfully. After a moment, she added, "But I am pretty tired. Mind if I head up to bed? You and Papa seem to have the bakery under control."

"Of course, sweetheart. Go right up." Sabine hugged her daughter. "Sleep tight."

Marinette said goodnight to her father, then slowly climbed the stairs into the house. She pushed open the trapdoor and climbed through to her dark bedroom. Yawning, she switched on the lights and began to wriggle out of the glittering ball gown. It was going to be a _very_ early start tomorrow, and she was kind of regretting the whole _four o'clock_ thing. It should have been five, or even six, but too late to change that now. She would just have to grin and bear it, or in this case, yawn and bear it. Marinette quickly swirled a toothbrush around her mouth, shook her hair out of its fancy style, and climbed the ladder to bed. Just as she was about to reach the top, she remembered.

"Tikki!" The girl jumped off the ladder and ran to her dress, fumbling for the little kwami. After a moment of frantic searching, Marinette managed to extract her little friend from the dress.

"Oh, Tikki, I'm so sorry." She opened the trapdoor and climbed down to the living room, cupping Tikki in her warm hands. Carefully poking her head through the kitchen door, she determined that it was empty, and crept in. Marinette rummaged in the cookie jar before snatching up a handful and scurrying back to her room, where she climbed the ladder again and jumped into bed, still cradling Tikki. Biting her lip with worry, the girl handed her kwami a small piece of one of the cookies, hoping she would eat it.

To Marinette's delight, Tikki sat up and accepted the cookie, nibbling on it gently. She still hadn't spoken, but that was okay. There was a lot to say, and Tikki seemed too tired to speak. In the morning, they would have a proper conversation, but for now, the little kwami needed sleep.

Marinette tucked the kwami into her nest, with a stack of cookies close by. She smiled at Tikki. "Sweet dreams," whispered the girl. "See you in the morning."

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 _Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep._

"Ughh," groaned Marinette, rolling over. "Too early."

The early start didn't seem to be affecting Tikki, who was up like a shot, zipping around her chosen's head. "Come on, Marinette!" she squeaked excitedly. "It's a beautiful day, and we've got work to do!"

"Do we have to?" mumbled Marinette, propping herself up on her elbows and blinking sleepily. "Can't it wait another hour?"

Tikki put her tiny hands on her tiny hips and gave Marinette a stern look. "Unless you want to be giving a press conference during school hours," she replied. "You know you can't just _get up there_ without preparing beforehand. It makes you look unprofessional and uncommitted. The media would have a field day with that.

"Stuff the media," muttered Marinette. Her kwami ignored her.

"Let's go, lazybones! You said four o'clock to Chat Noir, and you don't want to keep him waiting."

Marinette heaved a loud sigh, accepting that she was going to have to get up. The girl slowly made her way down the ladder, until she was standing in her room, bare feet pressing against the cool floorboards. Tikki hovered around her head, coughing impatiently. Marinette yawned. "Ugh," she said. "Tikki, spots on!"

The little kwami gave a squeal of delight as she was sucked into Marinette's earrings, which began to glow with Miraculous power. Marinette quickly completed her transformation, the moves now coming naturally. A fully transformed Ladybug stood in the center of Marinette's room and was quite content to stay there, until Tikki began squeaking at her.

 _Come on, let's go! Chop chop! Do you want to look unprofessional?_

The superhero threw up her hands. "Okay, okay!" she muttered. "I'm going." She climbed up to the balcony, shuddering at the crisp morning air. Ladybug stepped up on top of the railing, her mind as foggy as the city. When you were a superhero, you had to be sharp and alert all the time. You couldn't protect Paris if you felt out of it. That was putting innocents at risk. And since it would cause quite a lot of fuss if Paris' guardian strolled into a coffee shop, Ladybug had developed her own way of waking herself up. Besides, it was four am, and no coffee shop would be open at this time, except for those horrible twenty-four-hour fast food chain restaurants. She didn't have time to go hunting for caffeine, either, not when she had places to go and people to see.

Ladybug carefully drew out her yo-yo, gripping it tightly. If she dropped it, this fun little activity would very quickly become deadly. She prepared to throw her weapon, aiming as well as she could. Then she slowly began to lean back, holding her yo-yo until she fell.

It was maybe two seconds of free fall before a quick tug of her wrist had her flying back up again, pulled by her yo-yo, which was wrapped around a flagpole on top of a nearby building. The girl landed lightly on the rooftop, unwound her yo-yo, and began to make her way towards the Eiffel Tower. The sudden rush of adrenaline from the fall had jerked her awake, and she felt alert and ready to move if something went wrong. Really, who needed coffee?

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Chat Noir needed coffee. Desperately, in fact. He was still cursing Ladybug for making it four o'clock. That was far too early. They didn't really need that long, did they? He was far too tired and not nearly awake enough. His brain felt like mush, and there was only one cure- caffeine, and lots of it. Unfortunately, it was _four o'clock_ in the morning, and all the good places were shut, except that fast-food place on the other street, the one that his father called an 'unsightly and pathetic excuse for a restaurant'. Chat agreed with him, but he was going to have to make an exception. The superhero launched himself over a wall of buildings before landing directly in front of the brightly lit 'restaurant'. He walked inside and was greeted by a bleary-eyed attendant with a robotic smile.

"Hello, how can I help you?" asked the young man.

Chat Noir placed his order and waited, glad that the man didn't seem to care that _Chat Noir_ was right in front of him. Normally Chat would be hurt, but today he didn't care. He just wanted to wrap up this meeting with Ladybug quickly, so he could hopefully squeeze in a few more hours of shut-eye.

He should have been used to irregular hours by now, but he never seemed to be able to adjust to being called in for a photo shoot at three am, just because 'the lighting was good'. Seriously, it was 2018. Technology was so advanced that Chat Noir was sure they could replicate any lighting they wanted to. He supposed they preferred the natural look, and to be perfectly honest so did he, but it was all Photoshopped anyway, so what was the point?

"Coffee's up," mumbled the man, sliding it over the counter. Chat took it and thanked him. The man simply nodded and went back to staring at a wall. Poor guy, it couldn't have been an easy job. Judging by his age, Chat was prepared to bet that he was a uni student trying to pay off his tuition. He didn't have cash on him at the moment, having just blown it all on a coffee, but he made a mental note to come back tomorrow and slid him a couple of notes, just to help out. Even if he wasn't a struggling student, who wouldn't like a few extra dollars?

Chat strolled out the door, sipping his coffee and not caring that it was hot. He would rather burn his tongue on the surprisingly decent coffee than fall to his death off some building because he wasn't awake.

 **Hi again. Just to clarify, yes, that was a Percy Jackson cameo in chapter one. Thanks for reading, guys!**


	45. Chapter 45

Ladybug arrived first, landing lightly onto the metal bars and checking her yo-yo. Two minutes past four exactly, meaning both of them were late. Not that she really cared, as it had been a long, tiring night and would undoubtedly be an even longer day. The girl was prepared to cut her partner some slack, but if he wasn't here in the next ten minutes, she'd be going over to the Agreste mansion and pounding on his windows. On second thoughts, pounding on the windows probably wouldn't do much. Knowing Gabriel Agreste, the glass would be as thick as her neck and completely soundproof.

Rubbing her tired eyes, Ladybug scanned the city for a small black dot leaping over the rooftops. To her disappointment, she saw nothing. She checked her watch and sighed, hoping Chat Noir would be here soon. It was nearing the end of February, which also meant it was nearing the end of winter. Marinette lived for Paris in the spring. It was just so bright and colourful and warm, and spring designs were her favourite. Plus, she wouldn't have to bundle herself up in coats and scarves everytime she wanted to go out.

There was a loud _thud_ behind her, and the red-suited hero spun around to see Chat Noir crouching on the same metal beam, panting and trying to keep his takeaway coffee from spilling all over him. Ladybug stepped over to him. "Need a hand?" she asked lightly, stretching out her own.

"Thanks, my lady." Chat put his coffee down and reached for her hand. Ladybug pulled him up, and he bent down to grab his coffee, sipping it as he rose back into standing position. He glanced at her. "Want some?"

"Sure." Ladybug took the still-warm cup from him and pulled off the lid. She gulped down the sweet liquid, wrinkling her nose slightly as the swallowed. Chat watched her, tail swishing in the breeze.

"Something wrong?" he asked anxiously.

Ladybug shook her head as she replaced the lid. "No, it's just sweeter than usual. It's no problem, since it's not my coffee anyway. Thanks for giving me some, Chat."

"No worries," replied her partner, winking at the girl, who rolled her eyes fondly. "Now, shall we get down to business?"

"I suppose," yawned Ladybug. "You didn't happen to bring a notebook, did you?"

Chat blinked, then groaned. "Ugh, no. I wasn't thinking straight this morning."

"Same here," said Ladybug. "I'll duck home and grab one. Won't be a minute." The superheroine ran over to the edge and jumped off, swinging her yo-yo at the closest building. She moved more quickly than usual, all too aware of their deadline. Questions would be asked if they held their press conference while they were meant to be at school, and Ladybug's parents were sure to realize that she wasn't home in a few hours. Being bakers, they were usually up very early but would let Marinette sleep. She had a few hours, at least.

She landed as softly as she could on her balcony before swinging down onto her bed. She snatched a notebook and a pen from the shelf, then zipped away again, breathing heavily as she swung through the city. Within a few, moments, she was standing back on the Eiffel Tower next to Char, out of breath but otherwise fine. Ladybug handed him the notebook and pen, then straightened up and looked around. She wasn't looking forward to sitting on the cold metal of the structure for the next hour or so. She sighed and looked over Chat Noir, but before she could open her mouth he started to speak.

"Do you want to do this somewhere else?"

Ladybug smiled gratefully and nodded. "You read my mind, kitty," she said warmly. "Any idea where?"

The leather-clad superhero scratched his head, tousling his blond lock. "Nope. No library I know is open at this time, and we'd probably cause a fuss even if there was one. I would say my house, but if my father came in and saw us, he'd be absolutely furious."

Ladybug narrowed her eyes. She had never quite gotten over her suspicion of Gabriel Agreste. If she was right in thinking that he was Hawkmoth, then she was glad not to be going to his house. It was a risk she was prepared to take, but Ladybug would much rather they stayed away from the man altogether. World-renowned fashion designer or not, her first priority was keeping both her secret and her Miraculous safe. "Okay, so not your place. What about mine? My parents will be working in the bakery for the next few hours, and you can easily hide in my room. It'll be a perfect place."

Chat shivered, rubbing his forearms with his gloved hands. "If it's warmer than this place, it sounds good to me," he replied, teeth chattering.

Ladybug nodded, her pigtails bouncing. "I can guarantee it'll be warmer than here, Chat. Come on, we're running out of time." She grabbed her yo-yo and leaped off the structure once more without looking behind her. "Let's go, slowcoach!"

Chat grinned and followed her, his baton-twirling above his head.

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Ladybug and Chat stood on the pink rug in the middle of her room. Chat had been there once before as Adrien, but was still scanning the place, his green eyes slightly unnerving.

"So, um.." Ladybug shuffled her feet. We should probably detransform. If my parents come up and see two superheroes, questions will be asked."

"Cool with me." Chat glanced at his partner. "Plagg, claws in!"

His suit melted away, revealing flannel pyjama pants and a black t-shirt. He smiled awkwardly at her. "Um, sorry for my outfit."

Ladybug shook her head. "It's no problem. Tikki, spots off!" Rosy light illuminated the room, and Marinette stood in front of Adrien, also in her pyjamas. They both stared at each other for a moment.

"Okay!" said Marinette cheerfully, trying not to blush. "You still have the notebook and the pen?"

The blonde boy held them up. "Sure do."

Marinette walked over to her desk and sat down, patting the swivel chair next to her. "Get over here," she said, smiling. "We've got some work to do."

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Harsh light illuminated Alya Cesaire's face as she sat in front of her computer screen, the glow from the device brightening the dark room slightly. Outside, a different source of light was beginning its slow journey through the sky, staining the Parisian skyline in gorgeous pastels. Despite the beauty of it, Alya remained focused on her task. Last night had been absolutely exhausting, and for some strange reason it was hazy in her mind and Alya was unable to pick out details. She couldn't remember what clour tie Nino had been wearing, or the flavour of the punch, or the song of the first dance. It was disappointing, as she'd been looking towards the dance for a while, but it couldn't be helped. She needed to focus on the task at hand, which was updating the Ladyblog. As dedicated as she was to it, Alya had promised herself that last night would be a break, and she wouldn't be focusing on it at all.

Unfortunately, that led to her being up at the crack of dawn to scour the internet for Ladybug news. This seemed especially important after the superheroine's mysterious call late last night. Alya hadn't been awake for long and was just typing Ladybug's name into the search engine. With a click, she hit _search_.

Nothing could have prepared her for the dozens of headlines that popped up. The bespectacled girl stared in shock, mouth gaping. How was this possible?

 _ **Chat Noir Akumatized, Ladybug Fights Alone**_ **,** screamed _Paris Today._

 _ **Hawkmoth Wins- Chat Noir Under His Control,**_ blared _French News._

 _ **Chat Noir Joins The Dark Side,**_ _The Express._ _ **Concerns For Ladybug as Chat Noir Turns Against Her**_ _, The Daily._ _ **Chat Noir To Make Official Appearance After Terrorizing Parisians**_ _, The Paris Courier._

"Oh my god." Alya gazed at her screen in disbelief, seemingly frozen. After a few moments, she reached out a shaky hand and clicked on _The Paris Courier_ 's article, scanning it quickly. There was a picture of Chat Noir standing next to Ladybug at some event. He looked happy and smiling, and so did Ladybug. Beneath was a blurry, grainy image of the two again. Chat Noir was standing against a wall, eyes glowing purple and a sneer on his face. Ladybug stood back from him, yo-yo out and hair messy. The photo didn't show her face, but Alya could imagine the mingled looks of determination and fear on her face.

Scrolling down further, Alya saw that the second photograph had been taken by a name that sounded familiar. Louis Lemaire, who also attended the dance. Alya could vaguely remember ticking his name off a list somewhere. As she continued to read the article, the girl discovered that the picture had been snapped at the school dance, and she had absolutely no memory of it.

"Chat Noir was present at the Francois- Dupont College event last night, according to witnesses," Alya muttered, vaguely conscious that she was reading out loud. "He had reportedly used his Cataclysm on several students before Ladybug arrived at the scene, and once she was there, threatened to "eliminate" more. Witnesses said the famous superhero seemed to be enjoying the students' terror, and was nothing like his old self. Ladybug appeared to be terrified, but bravely protected the students and the city." Alya gulped and took a deep breath, skimming over the next few sentences. "The Mayor of Paris announced this morning that the superhero pair will hold a press conference tomorrow morning, in front of the town hall. Paris eagerly awaits the explanation of Ladybug and especially her disgraced partner, Chat Noir."

Alya leaned back of the chair pushing away from her desk and raising her eyes to the ceiling. After a few minutes of thought, she sat up again and turned her attention back to the computer. She scribbled down the time and place of the press conference, then glanced at her watch. She still had ages until the conference began, but she had some serious work to do. She desperately needed to update the Ladyblog, and this was going to be her prime feature.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien groaned and let his head fall into his hands. "This is impossible," he said, his voice muffled. "How the hell would anyone forgive me after hearing _that_?" He pointed to the sheet of paper in front of him, an expression of disgust on his face.

Marinette took the paper and scanned over it. "It's not that bad, it could just use some improvements," she said comfortingly. "Get up, Adrien. No one will forgive you if you have to tell them that you don't have a speech at all."

Adrien sighed. He wanted to apologize for his actions, he really did. But this was so much more difficult than he had imagined it to be. Normally he was good at this kind of stuff, but now, when he was really in the wrong, it seemed impossible. Had he been by himself, he would have given up, and he was sure Plagg wouldn't have done anything about it.

Marinette stood up and pulled him to his feet as well. Hard. Adrien stumbled as he was tugged into standing position and opened his mouth to complain, but shut it. There really wasn't much point, as Marinette would simply ignore him.

"Okay, I want you to imagine that we're transformed," she said, pulling at her phone and tapping on it. "The journalists are in front of you, and the people of Paris are watching you. What do you want to say to them?" She hit the _record_ button on her voice memo app and waited.

Adrien swallowed and stared at his feet, deep in thought.

"An explanation, maybe?" prompted Marinette. "Then an apology?"

He took a deep breath and began to speak.


	46. Chapter 46

Dozens of camera lenses and microphones pointed at Chat Noir as he stepped up to the podium and adjusted the microphone, raising it up. Although the devices would be doing nothing more than taking pictures and recording his words, they felt like guns to Chat, ready to take him down if he made a mistake. With trembling hands, he propped the page that contained his speech up in front of him. There hadn't been enough time for him to memorize it, but he knew it well enough to be able to look up most of the time. The superhero glanced at his partner, who was standing a few meters to his left. She smiled at him, that warm Ladybug smile that went right to her eyes. It gave him courage, and he turned back to the waiting media. Clearing his throat, Chat Noir began.

"People of Paris," he said, gazing into the cameras. "This is a press conference regarding the events of last night, which I'm sure you now know of. I will begin with an explanation, as there is no one available to speak who know as much about it as I do. On Wednesday morning, I left my house as Chat Noir, with the intention of going out to clear my thoughts. I stopped on a rooftop and felt something hit my back with force. Next thing I knew, there was a voice in my head, and I had to listen to it. The voice told me that if I gave him my Miraculous and Ladybug's, I would have the power to change what was bothering me. I agreed and fell under Hawkmoth's control. It's a little blurry, but I remember most of what I did. After being akumatized, I wandered around Paris for hours, plotting. When night fell, I went to the Francios-Dupont College Dance. I went in and began to use my power on students. Ladybug caught up to me, and we continued to…"

Chat Noir continued recounting the events until he had reached the end. "And now that I have explained what happened, I want to apologize. To everyone in Paris, for the damage I caused in our beautiful city, and the fear I gave people. To the students at Francois-Dupont, for ruining your special night, and especially to the students who I caused physical harm to. What I did to some of you will haunt me forever, even if you don't remember it. To Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng and the patrons of their bakery, I apologize for ruining your evening and for almost destroying both your home and your bakery. To Mayor Bourgeois, for giving me the opportunity to apologize. And finally, to Ladybug, for abandoning her and giving her a near-impossible task. I am sorry, Parisians. Whether you forgive me or not is your decision, but always know that there is no one who regrets my actions more than I do."

He stepped back from the podium and looked at Ladybug, who smiled reassuringly. "You did great," she whispered, which thankfully wasn't picked up by the microphone. She stepped forward to say her piece.

"Parisians, this is just one of the many obstacles that Hawkmoth throws at us. We will continue to fight him, and one day, we will defeat him. No matter what comes between us, Chat Noir and I will always do everything in our power to protect you. Thank you, and remember to keep your heads up." Ladybug brushed her pigtail over her shoulder and stepped down from the podium.

The Mayor hurried to replace her, giving the journalists a hasty grin. "Ah, yes, yes. Thank you to Ladybug and Chat Noir for being here today. I'm sure your words have cleared up a lot of speculation. Now, I know you're busy people, saving the city and all that, so feel free to go."

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each and nodded simultaneously. "Thank you again for this opportunity, sir," Ladybug told him. "Goodbye!" She pulled her yo-yo from around her hip and swung away, waving briefly at the cameras as she zipped off. Chat Noir, too, said his goodbyes and propelled himself after Ladybug. Unlike his partner, he didn't glance at the cameras.

They rendezvoused on top of the school, both checking the time on their weapons as soon as they landed. They both groaned. An hour to get ready for school. Both of them had secretly been hoping that they had enough time to catch a few z's before school started, but unfortunately, they couldn't. Ladybug sighed, fully aware that she would probably be snoring in more than one of her classes today. She swayed on the spot, her head finding Chat Noir's shoulder. They both sank to the ground, eyes slowly closing as they leaned against each other. Ladybug could feel Chat drifting off into dreamland, and she knew she wasn't far from the same fate. As much as she would have loved a sleep, and as comforting as Chat's warmth was, she knew they couldn't stay here. It wasn't exactly a private place, and anyone with a phone could snap a picture of them, and rumours would fly like a bunch of deranged seagulls after a packet of chips.

With effort, Ladybug got to her feet and pulled her partner up too. "We can't do this," she told him. "School starts in an hour."

Chat groaned. "Ugghhh. Fine. I'll see you there." He stretched his arms and yawned, then pulled out his baton, preparing to leave. Ladybug watched him walk to the edge of the rooftop until a sudden impulse struck her and she rushed forward. "Chat, wait!" she cried.

He turned, looking surprised. "Ladyb-" he started to say before she crushed him in a hug. "Ooft," he said.

Ladybug squeezed him tightly. "I'm proud of you," she whispered, and felt him smile. They held each other for a few seconds more, before leaving for their own homes.

Neither of them had seen the girl on the pavement snapping a photo of them as they embraced.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette practically dived into the shower the moment she detransformed. She felt like she needed to scrub away all of the morning's events and start the day fresh. Not that the press conference had gone badly, it was just that Marinette felt like she needed to start over. She wouldn't mind holding onto one memory from the day, though. She smiled as she recalled her hug on the rooftop with her partner. They'd said they would take the relationship slowly, and Marinette didn't mind that. Their hug had felt like something between two partners, who might one day be something more than that. It had been….comfortable.

Ten minutes later, Marinette sat in front of her vanity, blow-drying her hair in preparation to style it into her trademark pigtails. With her free hand, she checked the news on her phone, just as an alert popped up on the screen, letting her know that the Ladyblog had been updated. Butterflies began to unfurl their delicate wings in Marinette's stomach as she entered the website. As she had expected, two or three segments about last night. As she always did, Marinette tapped on the refresh button, just to make sure she was seeing everything. A new piece popped up, and Marinette nearly dropped her phone.

A slightly grainy image, obviously taken with a mobile phone, took up her screen. It showed the top of a familiar-looking building in the dawn light. A figure of some sort was visible on top of the building. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Marinette zoomed in, as the picture's caption urged her to.

Chat Noir, his tail curling behind him, had his arms wrapped around a smaller, slimmer figure in red, who was hugging him back. Herself and her partner's special moment had been captured on camera by Marinette's best friend, who was no doubt over the moon with the picture. Her stomach feeling like it was filled with rocks, Marinette began to read the article.

 _PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: As I was making my way back from the press conference, I happened to see something on the rooftop of a school. I managed to snap this shot of none other than Ladybug and Chat Noir. Is there something in the air for our two superheroes? We think so!_

Marinette groaned and put her head in her hands. Great. Now rumours would be flying everywhere, all centered around her and Chat's supposed 'romance'. Yes, they both loved each other, but there was nothing official, and Marinette would have preferred if they could figure out their relationship without the media getting in the way. Now there would be requests for interviews everywhere they went. The only good thing about all this is that it would take a lot of the attention away from last night's events, but it was still going to be absolutely exhausting. With a sigh, Marinette turned off her phone and her hair-dryer, tied her hair into two pigtails and headed downstairs.

She really needed a chocolate croissant.

MLBMLBMLB

Adrien was used to hearing rumours about himself. Gossip magazines simply couldn't get enough of him and were always speculating who Adrien was dating. He couldn't be seen with a girl without the media jumping on it. Being Chat Noir was no different. It was hard to look discreet when he was transformed, and so all it took was a quick photo for rumours to start spreading like a bushfire.

He was hardly surprised when he approached Alya and immediately had her phone shoved in his face.

"Look!" she cried, bouncing on her toes excitedly. "It's Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Adrien squinted at the photo and deflated like an old balloon. He should have realized that someone would take a photo of them. After years of being a celebrity, Adrien knew that you should never believe that no one was going to photograph you if you were in a public place. Just because you couldn't see the cameras didn't mean they weren't there.

But he'd hoped that maybe, just maybe, the moment could stay private between Marinette and himself. It was special, after all. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out that way.

Alya was still bouncing around like a hyperactive child in a lolly shop. "Do you think they're dating?" she asked, eyes huge. "I mean, I know they're only hugging, but still! I ship it!"

Adrien shrugged. "Well, it looks like a supportive hug. They're partners, right? Maybe Chat Noir was feeling nervous about that speech. Maybe she's proud of him. Who knows?"

Alya stopped bouncing to consider Adrien's words. "True," she said thoughtfully. "But then again, they seemed like they were leaving, and then Ladybug yelled something and ran at him."

"Maybe something bad happened." The blonde model was beginning to tire of the topic. He was still annoyed that his private moment had been made public. He looked around for Marinette but saw no sign of the dark-haired girl, which wasn't unusual. Knowing Marinette, she'd probably fallen back asleep. Adrien smiled at the thought of it, then pulled out his phone. Should he call her?

No, he decided. If she wasn't here by the end of the first class, then he would. But not now.

MLBMLBMLB

 **It's a little shorter than usual, but I'm honestly stuck on how to finish this, and I haven't updated in a while, so I'm just going to post it. This fic is finishing up now because I really don't think I can continue it for much longer. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!**


	47. Chapter 47

Marinette hated it. She really, truly, hated it.

Usually, she could deal with all the stupid articles, the ones that spread rumours and lies about herself and Chat Noir. She could deal with the nosy journalists and the prying camera lenses because at the end of the day, she could always transform back int Marinette, and leave her life as Ladybug far behind.

Except this time, it felt like her superhero persona was sticking to her as tightly as her costume's bodysuit. Completely inescapable, and Marinette had no idea why. Yes, Ladybug would always be a part of her. In reality, they both had similar personalities, almost exactly the same. Ladybug was just a little sassier, and Marinette slightly more reserved, but in Marinette's mind, she still needed to get away from being Ladybug for a while. But she couldn't, and she didn't know why.

The feeling of suffocation had first begun when she had scrolled through Alya's blog that morning, after the press conference with Chat Noir. Reading the caption, short but still full of speculation, and seeing that photo. It may have been grainy, but it had captured all that was necessary to start a whirlwind of rumours.

It had continued after she turned off her phone and gone downstairs for breakfast. Her parents had been perched on the living room couch, the bakery closed for the morning after last night's events. Tom and Sabine had been watching one of the morning talk shows, and the picture from Aya's blog was on the screen, each detail being pulled apart by the excited journalists. Even the heading of the article, running across the bottom of the screen, had made her feeling of suffocation worse. ' _IS PARIS' FAVOURITE COUPLE FINALLY A COUPLE?_ '

A stupid headline. Alya could have come up with a better one. Marinette had snatched her croissant from the kitchen bench and stormed out, across the road and into the school. The courtyard was empty, the students in their classes. There was still a faint hum of traffic from outside, and the mutter of classroom chatter, but otherwise, it was possibly the most peace Marinette had had all morning. Although the dark-haired girl was perfectly content to stand there for another ten minutes, she knew she had to get to class. She didn't want another late mark next to her name, or the school would be questioning her parents, who thought Marinette went to school perfectly on time each morning.

The girl had trudged across the basketball court towards the locker room, hoping with all her will that Adrien was at school today. He was possibly the only person who would truly understand what she was going through. Usually, Marinette would have turned to Alya, but she had a feeling that Alya would still be fizzing with excitement about the photograph. With slightly trembling fingers, Marinette opened her locker and stuffed her bag inside, first retrieving her school supplies. Gripping the books tightly, she walked back across the courtyard, stomach sinking in anticipation.

The second she opened the door, a cellphone was shoved into her face, accompanied by a ladybug charm and a scream of "Marinette!". Only the charm made contact with her face, and it hurt.

Marinette blinked in shock, rubbing her nose. "Ow!"

The flannel blur that was Alya ignored her and continued to bounce and squeal. "It's Ladybug and Chat Noir! A _couple_!"

Marinette groaned and pushed her hair out of her face. The Ladybug suit continued to tighten around her, just as the rest of her classmates gathered around the two girls, one blinking and irritated, the other jumping and fangirling.

"Isn't it exciting?" squeaked Rose, while Juleka and Nino grinned behind her.

"I knew it would happen," Chloe announced with a smug smile perched on her lips, leaning back in her chair and inspecting her nails. Sabrina nodded eagerly beside her.

Even Ms. Bustier seemed excited. She was sitting at her desk, looking up and smiling to herself every now and then.

Alya showed her the photo again, this time zooming in to focus on the vague details. "Look at Chat Noir's tail! Oh my goodness, I totally ship it. Ladybug and I need another interview about this!"

Marinette frowned. "You shouldn't ship real people together," she chided, her voice faint.

Alya shrugged. "Why not? You gotta admit, they're a pretty cute couple."

The baker's daughter shook her head intently. "But what if they don't feel that way about each other? What if this ruins their relationship because everyone's putting pressure on them? They're real people, Alya. They have feelings too, even if they are superheroes."

Alya's lips twisted for a moment as she considered her friend's words. "Don't tell me this is because you think Chat Noir's a piece of scum for being akumatized," she said, a note of annoyance in her voice.

Marinette was surprised. "Of course not," she snapped. "I never said anything about that. I don't think he's scum at all, I just think you shouldn't try to force relationships onto real peo-"

"Oh, come _on_ , Marinette," said Alya loudly, rolling her eyes. "LadyNoir! LadyNoir! LadyNoir!"

Slowly, the rest of the class began to chant, clapping and stamping their feet as they closed in on Marinette. "LadyNoir! LadyNoir! LadyNoir!"

Marinette's ears started to ring as the chanting grew louder. Her classmates continued to move in, the circle tightening around her, like Ladybug's suit was tightening around her now. It was strangling her, suffocating her, drowning her. She couldn't breathe, her lungs were gasping. She was faint, her head spinning as the ringing grew louder and louder until it was screaming and she couldn't breathe, couldn't think or hear or move and she was collapsing and it was too loud and she was going to drown and-

A strong, warm hand grasped her wrist, pulling her through the wall of chanting, stomping students and out into the courtyard, and through a door and into a room Marinette didn't recognize, couldn't recognize, because tears were swirling in her eyes, hot and cloudy and threatening to spill.

And then there was the cool floor, tiles maybe, hard and soothing. The ringing slowly faded away as Marinette's tears dripped down her face. The girl tilted her head to the ceiling, gasping in the air as she felt the tight bonds of her suit melt away. Someone warm slid down beside her, no longer gripping her wrist but holding her hand, warm and comforting and soft. They sat there for a minute, as Marinette inhaled and exhaled, trying to breathe away the panic and terror she had felt in that classroom.

Marinette opened her eyes properly, the tears that had filled them now lying cold on her cheeks. She turned her head to the person next to her and smiled when she recognized the mop of blonde hair and the emerald green eyes, gazing at her with love and concern. Adrien had rescued her from that room, had taken her here, had held her hand as she calmed down.

She couldn't have asked for a better partner.

"Are you okay now, Marinette?" he asked softly, still caressing her hand.

She nodded, because she was okay now. Adrien was beside her, and she was free of that horrible suffocating feeling. She could breathe again, and that was what mattered. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

He nodded, looking serious. "Anything for you. Let me know when you're ready to go back, okay?" Adrien hesitated, then reached out with his other hand and brushed Marinette's hair away from her face gently.

Marinette smiled and leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. She was perfectly content to just stay there, but she knew it wasn't an option. If they stayed away for too long, people would start to wonder. Ms. Bustier would probably send someone to find them, and Marinette didn't want to be found like this. She and Adrien had agreed to keep their relationship under wraps for a while, and they planned to keep it that way. If someone walked in and found Marinette with her head on Adrien's shoulder and Adrien holding her hand, they would definitely be suspicious.

Adrien must have been thinking the same thing, because he let go of her hand. "Marinette," he whispered, "I think I should go. We don't want someone coming in here and seeing us together."

The dark-haired girl nodded. "If it's alright with you, I think I'll stay a little longer. I need to wash my face, get cleaned up. Let them know I'm okay, will you?"

"Of course," replied the model. He began to get to his feet, but hesitated. Marinette watched him, wondering what he was doing. He smiled at her, green eyes twinkling, then leaned towards her. Marinette froze, her mouth falling open. Was he going to…..

His lips brushed against her cheek, warm and soft, like a sun-bathed petal. Marinette closed her mouth and felt her lips curve into a smile as Adrien pulled away. He stood up, towering above her, and gave her a nervous smile. "Was that okay?"

Marinette nodded at him. "More than okay." She supposed he should have asked first (consent was key, after all), but was grateful that he had checked. Nobody was perfect, and she could always have a discussion with him later about it. This relationship was a work in progress, after all.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette fiddled with her pen as Ms. Bustier explained the criteria for their final assessment of the term. The aspiring designer probably should have been listening, as Literacy wasn't exactly her strength, but her brain felt like an overstuffed pillow, and Marinette was sure that even if she had been listening to her teacher, none of the information would stick. She glanced up at the clock. Four minutes to go. What were her plans for tonight? She had some homework due soon, and maybe work on a project or two…..

Her eyes fell to Adrien, or rather the back of his head. His hair was slightly messier today, reminding her of Chat Noir's signature mop. Chat Noir….. Her stomach dropped. She had a patrol tonight, from five until six. An hour of running around the city alone, searching for any disturbance in the peaceful Paris evening. Marinette knew that as a superhero, it was her duty to do everything in her power to keep her city safe, but some days it was just too much. She propped her chin up with her hands and glanced to her left. Alya was scribbling down some notes, looking vaguely upset. Marinette had returned to class a few minutes after Adrien, and had then had to rush off to her design class, which Alya didn't take. They'd had several classes together throughout the day, but hadn't been seated near each other. Marinette had gone home for both recess and lunch.

In short, Alya hadn't yet apologized to Marinette for causing her to panic. She had since calmed down about 'LadyNoir' becoming 'official', for which Marinette was grateful. She wasn't desperate for an apology, but had a feeling that an apology might heal the rift between her and Alya.

The bell sounded, causing Marinette to jump as the rest of her class, who had obviously been aware that the bell was on the verge of going off, barrelled out the door, books clutched to their chests. With a sigh, Marinette stood and began to pick up her stuff. She turned to go and was almost out the door when she heard her name.

She smiled. It was exactly what she had been expected, and she knew what would happen next, but she turned around anyway. "Yeah?"

Alya stood at her desk, holding her books and looking vaguely upset. "Listen, I'm sorry for this morning. I guess I overreacted, and you were right about not shipping two actual people together. I'm really sorry, Marinette."

Marinette smiled. "It's okay, Alya. Apology accepted." She walked up to the bespectacled girl and gave her a one-armed hug, because of her books. Alya did the same, and they both looked at each other and laughed.

MLBMLBMLB

 **Back again! Sorry for the delay, I went away over the weekend to my aunt's for a few nights. Thank you for all your reviews, they make my day so much better. This isn't the last chapter, I think there will be at least another two or three. Bye!**


	48. Chapter 48

Adrien sat in the middle of his room absentmindedly spinning around on his desk chair and staring at his phone. It was quarter to five, and patrol started in fifteen minutes. Patrol was something he looked forward to immensely because he got to see his partner, even if it was only for a few minutes. Usually, they wandered the city separately, meeting at the Eiffel Tower and then splitting up. Occasionally, if they needed to talk or just didn't want to be alone, they patrolled together. Some of their best conversations happened when they patrolled together.

But Adrien wasn't sure if Marinette was up to it. Even with the powers and strength their Miraculous gave them, patrolling was still hard work, and Adrien always felt completely drained afterward. Marinette was probably emotionally exhausted after today's events, and adding physically exhausted to that list wouldn't be a good mix. Adrien decided to call her.

He stood up and immediately felt the world spin and his vision go hazy. Clearly, twirling around on that chair for the past five minutes had not been a good idea. "Ugh," he groaned, staggering slightly as he dialled Marinette's number, which he already knew off by heart. He'd always been good at remembering numbers, and had Nino's, his father's, Alya's and Chloe's memorised. Adrien closed his eyes as he listened to the rings. If she didn't answer by the eighth ring, he'd hang up. She was most likely asleep or busy, and the blonde model had no wish to disturb her. After all Marinette had been through in the past few weeks, she'd earned herself a break.

The phone stopped ringing. "Hello?" answered Marinette, her voice sounding tired.

"Hi," replied Adrien, running his hand through his hair nervously. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Not thriving, but surviving."

The boy grinned at her odd phrase, which he often heard her say to Alya. "Well, seeing as you're not thriving, do you want to stay home from patrol tonight?"

"Oh…" Adrien couldn't quite decipher the tone of his partner's voice, but it wasn't happy. "No, it's fine. I'll come. What time?"

"Marinette, you don't have to," said Adrien gently. "You haven't had the best of days. Rest, finish some assignments, whatever. I can patrol on my own, and I really doubt that we'll have an akuma tonight. And even if we do, you're just a phone call away. It's fine, Marinette, really."

"Are you sure?" This time, the boy could hear the relief in her voice.

"Positive. Rest up, Marinette. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Adrien. Thank you."

"No problem," he replied, then hung up and checked the time. Since he would be patrolling alone tonight, there wasn't a point in waiting until five o'clock. He may as well transform now and get going. Stretching himself out, Adrien glanced around for his kwami. "Plagg!" he said. "Come here!"

The little black cat zoomed over to his chosen. Surprisingly, neither his hands nor his mouth was full of cheese, although his mind probably was. "What?" he grumbled. "I was _sleeping_."

"You can sleep later," Adrien told him. "We've got patrol."

"Of course we do," muttered Plagg under his breath. "Looking forward to seeing your _girlfriend_?" The little kwami pouted and batted his eyes at Adrien, who swatted at him.

"She's not coming," he answered, a flush creeping up his neck. Was Marinette his girlfriend? Not really. But she kind of was? Adrien didn't really know what to call their relationship. They hadn't discussed that yet, and he wasn't comfortable calling her his girlfriend unless Marinette was okay with it.

Plagg watched him. "I suppose you want me to transform you?"

"That would help," replied Adrien absentmindedly, still thinking about Marinette.

"Wake up, lover boy," snapped Plagg. "I'm not transforming you unless you've got your head in the game. Who knows what you'd do?"

The boy sighed. His kwami was right, he did need to snap out of it, but Plagg couldn't actually control whether he transformed Adrien or not. Still, he needed to 'get his head in the game', as Plagg said.

"Okay, I'm good now," he told Plagg. "Plagg, claws out!"

MLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir bounded across the Parisian rooftops, rejoicing in the last of the day's golden sunbeams as they rippled across his face and hair. It was nice to get out and stretch, and nice to have some time to himself, too. Just him, the city, and his thoughts.

And Plagg, he supposed, but Chat doubted his kwami would put his two cents in now. Most likely the little cat would be half-snoozing; eyes closed, but still alert enough to wake up if there was an incident. And hopefully, tonight's patrol would be free of incidents. Chat and Ladybug would usually get some street fights and a robbery or two, but rarely anything extreme, such as armed robbery. Those were generally matters for the police, who were actually trained to deal with that kind of stuff, but the two superheroes would usually step in if the police hadn't arrived at the scene yet.

As he jumped over a chimney, the blond hero's mind turned to Marinette. He didn't want to seem obsessed with her, but there were matters that needed thinking over. When would they go public with their relationship? What _was_ their relationship? Was she still comfortable with it? Would they continue their relationship as Ladybug and Chat? Chat Noir just didn't know. Even if he thought about it for the entire patrol, he probably wouldn't have come up with an answer, or at least a decent answer. He needed to sit down and have a discussion with his partner.

The rest of the patrol passed uneventfully, but Chat Noir felt completely drained of energy. He needed sugar, or he was going to fall asleep before he had a chance to complete his homework. The superhero paused on top of a church, scanning the street below. There were antique shops, fabric shops, even a mattress store, but no sign of an eatery. He frowned, thinking.

 _How about Andre's?_ suggested Plagg sleepily, who Chat hadn't even realized was listening to his thoughts. He considered it, before slowly nodding. It sounded good, and his mouth was already beginning to water at the thought of Andre's creamy, colourful, _sugary_ ice-cream. It was exactly what he needed, and he was going to head over there immediately. It only took a few minutes for him to launch himself off one of the riverside homes and onto the bridge, a few meters away from Andre's cart. There weren't many people about, which surprised him. It was usually bustling at this time, but he didn't mind. The fewer people there were, the faster he would get his cone.

He approached the stand, smiling as he did so. He knew he could look kind of threatening, especially when the light was fading, so he tried to look as friendly as he could with a mask covering half his face. Fortunately, he had gained a reputation as a generally friendly and relaxed kind of guy, which was exactly how he wanted to be perceived by the public. He wasn't so pleased about being seen as a flirt. He only ever really flirted with Ladybug, and Marinette when he hadn't realized that they were one and the same.

Andre looked up from organizing his gleaming silver scoops as Chat approached, a smile automatically sliding across his face before he even registered who was walking towards him. "Well, who have we got he-?" His smile slid off his face as he saw Chat, and almost dropped his scoops.

"Hi, Andre," greeted Chat Noir. "Are you alright?" He looked at the man with concern.

Andre staggered back, looking fearful. "Q-q-quite alright, thank you." He was going steadily pale.

The blonde superhero rushed forward and grabbed the ice-cream man's arm to support him. "Are you sure, sir? Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

Andre threw Chat off him, almost hitting him in the nose. "Get off me!" he hissed. "Get away from here, you mangy cat."

Chat's jaw almost hit the ground. "I'm sorry?" He had never seen Andre so agitated. Well, except for when he'd been Glacier, and trying to turn the entire city into vanilla scoops.

"I'm not serving you," he insisted, his eyes fiery. "Never have I had such evil in front of me!"

Chat Noir blinked in confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He stared at the furious vendor, before it finally began to dawn on him. Andre was angry because Chat Noir had been akumatized. Either he hadn't heard Chat's apology speech, or he hadn't cared.

The people nearby began to gather, evidently curious as to why Andre, a generally amiable citizen, was hissing and spitting like an alleycat at one of his customers. A few of them recoiled when they recognized their city's guardian, and took a step back. Misery seeped into Chat. His speech had done nothing. People hated him for becoming akumatized, resented him, feared him. It was a more than just a mark on his reputation. It was a stain the size of Europe itself, and as quite a few countries around the globe knew, Europe didn't go away in a hurry- or ever.

"What are you doing here, _Chat Noir_?" sneered a man with glasses. He was gripping the hand of a woman with a similar expression on her face. "Shouldn't you be destroying buildings? _Eliminating_ people?"

Chat Noir didn't remember much about his time being akumatized. Usually, memories were wiped as soon as Ladybug purified the butterfly. But he supposed that as a Miraculous holder, he remembered more than a normal civilian would. He vaguely remembered swiping his glowing hand across Alya's stomach and watching her crumble as Nino screamed and he moved on to his next victim.

And he hated himself for it. Hated himself for doing those things almost as much as the people here did. He would give almost everything to erase that night from history, to travel back in time and take different steps that wouldn't result in him being placed under Hawkmoth's control.

Chat met the man's eyes and saw the loathing in them. "Didn't you hear my speech?" he snapped. "I regret doing those things every single day."

The man raised his hands and applauded him, still sneering. "Do you want us to clap for you? Grovel at your feet? You see, we've never heard a speech that you came up with on your own, have we?"

Rage bubbled in the hero's stomach. He wanted nothing more than to give the man a solid king-hit to the stomach, but he restrained himself. "What do you mean?" he asked icily, his tone a sharp contrast to his emotions.

"Oh, come on." The bespectacled man shook his head in disgust. "We all know you hired a professional speechwriter or something."

"Actually, Ladybug and I wrote that speech together."

"Sure you did. Where is Ladybug, anyway? Did you eliminate her, too?" His distasteful expression was once again replaced by a sneer.

"She's sick. She needed to rest." Chat was having a hard time keeping his cool.

"That's what she told you. I think she meant that she didn't want to be seen near a monster like you."

"Hawkmoth's the real monster!" yelled Chat. "So listen here, you ungrateful idiot. Ladybug and I risk our lives every day so you can stand here with that stupid look on your face and insult everything we do. Do you know how many sacrifices we've made? Of course you don't. Because you're so wrapped up in your own life that you never think of others! Well, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee, buddy; if it wasn't for me, you'd be dead. So shut the hell up."

The man gaped at him. So did everyone else. Chat glared, eyes glowing green. "Same goes for all of you." He grabbed his baton and propelled himself away from all the stupid, hateful people who he and Marinette risked their lives to protect.

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 **Hi again, and thank you so much for your reviews! It's great hearing how I can improve, and you have no idea how much I appreciate the encouragement. See you soon!**


	49. Chapter 49

As far as school nights went, Marinette's had been a surprisingly relaxing one. She had been dreading patrol, but all that had disappeared as soon as Adrien hung up on her. At first, she had felt slightly guilty about leaving her partner to patrol the city on his own, but she'd quickly accepted that Adrien was fine with it, so she should be, too. Besides, it was nice to float around her bedroom, finishing a few things and listening to her playlist.

It was getting pretty dark outside, and Marinette decided to shower and change into her pajamas, eagerly anticipating a few more hours of relaxation. Maybe she could finish off that series she'd started a couple of months ago, or scroll through YouTube. The dark-haired girl climbed up to her bed and pulled her quilt and several large, comfy cushions off the bed, then climbed back down the ladder with her cozy pile. She wrapped herself in the quilt and arranged the pillows on her swivel chair before curling up on it and turning her attention to her computer.

As Marinette browsed through YouTube, deciding what to watch, there was a tapping noise from above her. She froze in her chair and glanced up, heart rate speeding up. She had no idea what could have made the noise, and it was honestly kind of terrifying. Swallowing, she rose from her chair, carefully shaking off her quilt wrapping. "Hello?" she said loudly.

The tapping came again, and this time Marinette could tell that whatever the thing was, it was tapping on the trapdoor. She prayed it wasn't an akuma, because those things could be downright creepy at night. "Hello?" she called again, shaking slightly. "Is anyone there?"

There was no reply, and Marinette bit her lip anxiously. This was how people died in horror movies, she told herself. Not that she was an avid watcher of horror movies. They tended to haunt her for months after she actually saw the movie, the young designer steered clear of them. Comedies were more her style. She blinked and tried to focus back on the situation at hand. She could climb up to her bed and open the trapdoor, because whatever was up there sure wasn't answering her. Or she could stay here and watch videos, because she was too terrified to open that trapdoor.

She stood on her carpet, tapping her foot and trying to decide what to do. Perhaps she could call for her parents to come up and check. Or maybe she shouldn't, because it could be an akuma. But wouldn't an akuma have busted its way in by now? Besides, the tapping had stopped. Maybe it was gone. Marinette chewed on her tongue, unsure. Suddenly, there was a loud chiming noise, which usually would have spooked Marinette, but instead relieved her. She padded softly over to her phone. A text from Adrien.

 _I'm on your roof. Sorry if I frightened you._

Relief crashed over Marinette, a soothing wave of calm. She didn't think she'd ever been so happy to hear that there was a person on her roof. The girl scrambled up her ladder and unlocked the trapdoor, poking her head out. A meter away from her face was Chat Noir's steel-tipped boot, reflecting the fairy lights that hung around Marinette's balcony. She raised her eyes up to his face and smiled at him. He smiled back, but there was something in his eyes that worried Marinette.

"Hi, kitty," she greeted, tucking a lock of raven hair behind her ear. "Want to come in?"

Chat Noir nodded. "Yes, please." There was definitely a hint of sadness about him; Marinette could hear it in his voice. "I'll just detransform, and then I'll be right with you, my lady." He winked at her, and she grinned, ducking back inside. There was a _whoosh_ and a burst of green light, and then a messy-haired Adrien dropped onto the bed beside her, quickly followed by his kwami, who glanced at her before zooming off, leaving a faint scent of cheese behind him. Marinette supposed he was off to find Tikki, who was resting on her little bed.

"Sorry about that," said the boy in front of her. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," said Marinette, waving her hand dismissively and conveniently forgetting how her heart rate had been skyrocketing. It was still beating kind of loudly, but that was probably because of just how _cute_ Adrien looked with messy hair, and also because _Adrien Agreste_ was sitting on her bed. "So, what's up? Not that I don't enjoy your company, but there must be a reason for this visit."

"How do you know that I didn't come just to hear your voice?" he teased.

The blue-eyed girl flushed lightly, her cheeks going the colour of her bedroom walls. "Yeah, right."

Adrien laughed. "While that is an excellent bonus, you're right. That isn't why I came to see you. Something happened on patrol, but I don't really want to talk about that now. There's some other stuff I want to discuss with you."

"Such as?" asked Marinette, although she was pretty sure she knew what he was talking about.

Adrien shrugged, suddenly looking slightly uncomfortable. "Well, us. Our relationship. You know, that kind of stuff."

"Oh, right." Marinette went pink again, and Adrien's discomfort immediately changed to concern.

"Unless you don't want to talk about it," he added hastily. "We don't have to if you don't want to, or anything."

The girl shook her head firmly. "No, I do want to talk about it," she said. "It's just...I haven't done this before, and I'm kind of.. nervous?"

Adrien nodded. "I'm nervous, too. So, the first topic. What are we? Like, does our relationship have a title?"

"Well… I'm not sure. I would _like_ to be your girlfriend…" Marinette glanced at Adrien shyly, blushing furiously. "But it's completely fine if you don't want that. I mean, I-"

Adrien put his finger over Marinette's mouth. "Shhh," he said, stopping her stammering. "I think we need to clear something up." He smiled at her, that angelically crooked yet adorable smile that Marinette had fallen in love with. "I love you, Marinette. A lot." He, too, was blushing. "You don't need to be scared, and second-guessing yourself. So, if I kiss you, will it calm you down?"

Marinette almost short-circuited. No, it would not calm her down, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from kissing Adrien. "Yes," she breathed.

He smiled at her and moved closer until they were both sitting cross-legged in front of each other. Then the blonde boy put his hands on Marinette's face, cupping it. She almost stopped breathing. He began to lean in, pausing halfway and waiting for her to close the gap.

Which she did, letting him angle her face and closing her eyes. Her first thought was that her heart was about to beat out of her chest. Her second was wondering what would happen if her parents came upstairs. And then she stopped thinking, and just kissed Adrien back. She put one hand on his back and the other in his hair, and for a few minutes, they lost themselves in the moment.

Marinette pulled away first, her breathing heavier than usual. Adrien watched her as she puffed, her cheeks no doubt bright pink. She didn't know what to say. What _did_ you say after someone kissed you like that?

"How was that?" asked Adrien. Marinette looked up, half-expecting to see a smug, self-satisfied smirk on his face, something incredibly Chat Noir-ish. Much to her surprise, Adrien looked pretty nervous; scared, even, and Marinette felt herself relax.

"Amazing," she said, beaming at him as the fear on his face was replaced by a look of delight. "I- Thank you?"

Adrien laughed, hair glowing in the light of Marinette's lamp. "You were amazing, too," he complimented. "We might have to do this again." One of his green eyes winked at her, and the girl blushed.

"For- for sure," she squeaked, blissfully imagining Adrien kissing her again. "That would be great."

Adrien nodded, his head seemingly in the clouds too. Marinette was perfectly content to simply sit and just look at him, but remembered why he had come here, and knew it was up to her to bring him back down to earth. "Adrien?" she asked gently. "Should we, um, finish our conversation before it gets too late?"

He blinked at her, looking confused, but then his expression cleared. "Oh, yeah. That would be smart," he said. He gazed at Marinette thoughtfully. "Where were we up to, again?"

"Uh…." Marinette tried to think. "Oh, I know. You asked me what our relationship was, and I said, um…."

The model smiled at her. "Marinette, would you be my girlfriend?"

The dark-haired girl's jaw just about hit the mattress. "Are you serious?" she gasped. " _Me_?"

Adrien laughed in delight. "Yes, you! And not just because you're Ladybug, either," he said. "It's because you're Marinette, too. Never, ever think that I'm only seeing your superhero side."

"And the same applies to you," replied Marinette. "It's Adrien and Chat Noir. I didn't realize it before, but I do now."

"Even after all the stuff I put you through?"

She shrugged. "I guess I couldn't hate you for long."

The two teenagers laughed, and both knew that no matter what it took, this relationship was going to last.

And no one was going to break it.

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Marinette merged from her pile of quilts and cushions early the next morning, nearly beating her parents and surprising them as well. They knew better than anyone that their daughter was not a morning person, and it was a shock to them when a fully dressed Marinette bounded downstairs and announced that she was going for a walk, and would be back in half an hour.

Tom and Sabine glanced at each other, then back at the beaming girl. "Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?" asked Sabine worriedly.

"I feel _great_!" chirped Marinette. "Why?"

Her mother shrugged. "It's just unlike you to be up so early. But we're glad to see that you're happy. Enjoy your walk, honey."

"Thanks, Mama, Papa. I'll be back soon." The girl kissed her parent's cheeks and waltzed out the door, much to Tom and Sabine's amazement.

Marinette breathed in the crisp morning air, glad of her thick sweater; pink, of course. It was a little chilly, but looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, almost the kind of day you got in spring. That was good, because spring was just around the corner, and Marinette _loved_ spring. The scent of flowers, the bright warmth of the world, the greenery, and the _fashion_. She adored spring fashion, because in her mind, the possibilities were endless. Sometimes it was cool, and perfect for jeans and a sweater, and sometimes it was warm, just right for a t-shirt and shorts.

Reluctantly, she shook the idea of spring out f her head. This walk was meant to clear her head and give her some time to think about last night. She and Adrien had made some decisions, and she needed to decide if they were right. They had also left one hanging in the air, unsure of what the right thing to do was. She needed to consider that, as well. First, she would think about what they _had_ decided.

After a long discussion, Marinette and Adrien had decided that they were indeed boyfriend and girlfriend, and both were happy with that. Both of them thought it best not to make their relationship public while they were Ladybug and Chat Noir, but had thought that they should come clean to their family and friends. But not _completely_ clean, because there was no way they could mention most of the things that had put them in a relationship. They came up with an elaborate story, well-rehearsed, to tell their family and friends.

The decision that they had left undecided was if they should ask their friends and family to keep the news to themselves or not. Marinette had brought up the idea, after remembering that Adrien was actually pretty famous, and was very popular with the paparazzi. That popularity would increase by a _lot_ if they found out he had a girlfriend, and the pair were unsure if they wanted that. On one hand, it would be great publicity for Gabriel Agreste's business, and would also put Marinette and her designing work into the spotlight. On the other hand, Marinette didn't really want to be photographed and harassed every time she stepped out with her boyfriend, or even without him. She was firmly against letting the paparazzi know that she and Adrien were dating, and Adrien was too, for the most part. He just wasn't sure if his father would allow their relationship without some sort of gain for him.

After Adrien had said that, Marinette had immediately wanted to give Gabriel Agreste a piece of her mind. Yes, he was one of her idols, but he also sounded like a pretty terrible parent, even worse than she had originally thought. Couldn't he just let his son be happy?

Marinette frowned as she turned around to head home, suddenly remembering that there was one more thing she and her boyfriend hadn't talked about.

Why had he visited her last night in the first place?

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 **Hi, everyone! Slightly longer today, and not a whole lot of action. I'm sorry about that, but since this is kind of a wrapping-up chapter, the next one might be the last. I don't really know, though. I stopped planning back in chapter eight, so that's probably why this fic is so out of whack. Thanks for all the reviews, and hope you have a good Friday (or whatever day it is in your country).**


	50. Chapter 50

Marinette was very used to keeping secrets. Ever since she'd slammed a jar over Tikki and called her a 'bug-mouse', her life had been abundant in secrets. It was just a way of life for a Miraculous holder, and while at first Marinette had felt incredibly guilty for keeping secrets from her parents and friends, she had since adjusted. Still, there was still a feeling of unease in her stomach as she walked up the stairs of the school. That feeling had nothing to do with the massive breakfast she had just eaten (walking could make you hungry) and everything to do with what had happened last night, and the fact that she couldn't tell Alya, her best friend, anything about it.

"Hey, Marinette!"

The dark-haired girl turned, eyes falling on a tall boy in a blue shirt and red cap. "Hey, Nino," she smiled as he ran to catch up with her. "How are you?"

"Good, good." He took off his cap and put it back on again, seemingly preoccupied, which wasn't unusual for Nino. His DJ-ing had really taken off, and he was almost as busy as Alya these days. It was a good thing they both supported each other, or their relationship might not have been so great. "Have you seen Alya?"

Marinette glanced at the street but saw no sign of the girl, who usually took a bus to the college. Maybe it was running late. "No, sorry," she said, pushing open the large door and scanning the courtyard for her friend. "But her bus might be caught in traffic. It happens sometimes."

Nino nodded absently, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Marinette wondered if he had even heard what she had said. "Nino?" she asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

He froze for a second, then relaxed. "Well, yeah. Sorry, Marinette, I know I'm really out of it today. Just too many late nights, I think."

"DJ-ing?" asked Marinette sympathetically.

He nodded and sighed. "And worrying about Alya. We haven't been as close lately, and I think we're both getting too busy. Something needs to give."

The designer nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure everything will work out. You guys will be fine," she said comfortingly.

"Yeah." Nino took his cap off and ran his hand through his short hair.

Marinette stood silently for a few seconds, unsure of what to say before remembering that she, too, had to talk to her significant other. "Have you seen Adrien about, Nino?"

He shook his head. "Want me to call him?"

Marinette waved her hand at him. "Oh, no, don't worry about it."

He frowned at her, fingers hovering over his phone. "You sure?"

"Positive." She flashed him a pearly smile. "But thanks. I'll see you in class."

He grinned. "Yep."

Marinette walked away, intent on putting her bag in her locker and getting her books out. Nino needed some time with Alya when she arrived, without Marinette third-wheeling on their conversation. Which reminded her….

She pulled out her phone and tapped in her password, having decided to call Adrien. Hopefully, they could get a good conversation in before class started, because they had a _lot_ to talk about. She scrolled through her contacts list, head bent over the phone as she walked. Marinette realized her mistake too late, and in her panic, promptly made another one, flinging her head up as she entered the locker room.

 _Crash_.

The designer found herself on the ground, her phone a few meters away, holding her head, which had quite painfully made contact with someone's chest. She looked up and saw Adrien almost mirroring her, except he wasn't holding his head.

"I am so, so sorry!" Despite her head, Marinette leaped up and rushed to Adrien, then stopped, gripping the door frame. All of a sudden she felt strangely dizzy, and on the point of falling over again.

Adrien looked concerned and quickly got to his feet. "Marinette, are you alright?"

She nodded, still holding the frame for support. "Just a little dizzy."

He held out his hands, still worried. "Here, hold onto me. I think you need to sit down."

Marinette did as the model asked, holding onto his shoulder as they slowly walked over to one of the benches in the locker room. Adrien helped her to sit and quickly joined her. They sat in silence for a minute or two, but it wasn't awkward. In fact, it was a comfortable sort of silence, and Marinette wouldn't have minded sitting there for another hour. But the girl knew that they had serious matters to discuss, and as much as she hated to break the serenity, she knew she had to do it.

"Adrien, I need to talk to you," she said, cracking the peaceful quiet like glass. Adrien looked up at her, a little startled by her sudden announcement. "I know we had that long discussion last night, and that was great-" They both went slightly pink at the mention of last night, and Marinette knew that Adrien, too, was remembering their kiss, "- but I feel like there's still more we need to talk about."

The model nodded, looking curious. "Fire away, Marinette."

She took a deep breath, trying to think. "Okay. First up: why did you come to visit me last night? I'm sure there was a reason behind it."

Adrien looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He swallowed nervously. "What if I said it was just to see how you were going?"

"Then I'd know you were lying, and I'd be upset. I want this relationship to be honest, Adrien," said Marinette sternly.

"They haven't forgiven me," blurted Adrien, surprising Marinette and apparently himself, too, but he kept on talking, lowering his voice. "The people of Paris? Yeah, I'm not their guardian anymore. They don't want someone who's been akumatized protecting them."

"That's ridiculous," said Marinette hotly. "Half of them have been akumatized too!"

"Andre said I was evil. I went to his place for ice-cream last night. He moved away from me, said I was mangy. Then the people around me started, said I should be off eliminating people."

Marinette's hands flew to her face, barely disguising her horror.

"They said I'd killed you, that I was a monster, that my speech was all lies. I lost my temper and called them idiots. I said that if it wasn't for us, they'd be dead, and they should shut up."

Marinette's jaw hung open. "I'm so sorry. You handled that really well, Adrien."

He stared at the wall. "I just don't understand," he whispered. "I do so much for them, and as soon as I have feelings like them, they hate me?"

His girlfriend shook her head fiercely. "It isn't a crime to have emotions. Never, ever be ashamed of having feelings. The civilians just put us on a pedestal, and whenever that illusion of superhuman being is shattered, they get mad. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of, but that's people for you."

Adrien put his head in his hands, but no before Marinette saw the despair on his face. She felt something white-hot in her stomach, and leaped to her feet. "Right, that's it," she said. "Tell Ms. Bustier there was a problem in the bakery."

Adrien raised his head, looking confused. "Marinette?"

"Please stay here," she told him. "Thank you for telling e about this. I really, truly appreciate it." She hesitated, then bent down and kissed his cheek. "I'll be back in half an hour."

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By the time she landed on the Pont des Arts, Ladybug's anger had cooled slightly, but she was having no second thoughts about her actions. Of course Andre would be here. It was highly popular with tourists, often young couples who wanted nothing more than to click a padlock on the famous bridge. It was busiest at night because in many people's eyes, that was the perfect date- dinner, then lover's ice-cream on the lover's bridge in the 'most romantic city in the world', with the partially concealed Eiffel Tower lighting up the sky.

She shook these thoughts out of her head, straightened herself and scanned the bridge, eyes narrowing as they landed on a familiar ice-cream cart, a line of a few people a telltale sign that Andre was in business. Tossing her pigtails over her shoulder, she stormed down the bridge, drawing gasps and stares from the pedestrians around her. The superheroine ignored them all, her gaze locked on Andre as firmly as the padlocks around her were attached to the railing.

The vendor handed a young man a cone with a smile, then began to scoop as he took the next order, still beaming as he did so. She paused in front of the vendor, hands on her hips, and cleared her throat. The man turned around, startled. When he recognized her, a smile spread across his face.

"Ah, Ladybug! The beautiful guardian of this city, come for one of my ice-creams! Seeing as you do so much for the city, I'll let you cut the line." He leaned towards her and winked. "Just this once."

"I'm not here for ice-cream, thank you," she replied coldly. She had had her hesitations about publicly admonishing Andre, but then she had remembered that he had done the same thing to Chat Noir. She wasn't a huge believer in the whole 'an eye for an eye' concept, but this was a slight exception. You didn't write off all of Chat Noir's sacrifices and get off with a private scolding.

He looked puzzled. "Well, then, what are you here for?"

"I want to talk to you about what happened last night," she said clearly. "Do you still remember that little incident?"

Ladybug could see the panic spreading across the vendor's face as he glanced around at the line of people and the curious people gathering around. It wasn't nearly as many people as the amount that would have crowded around Chat Noir last night. "Not now," he muttered, knowing that a public confrontation by Paris' hero would most definitely lead him to lose business.

"Oh, yes now," said Ladybug sweetly. "After all, you didn't insult and deprecate my partner in private, did you?"

Beads of sweat begin to trickle down Andre's forehead, glinting in the morning sun. "That was a different matter entirely," he began, but Ladybug cut him off.

"No, it wasn't. If I remember correctly, you called him evil, then stood by and let the crowd say he was a monster? That he _wanted_ to hurt people? I would say that's slightly hypocritical coming from _you_ , Andre. Were you not, at one point in time, akumatized? Did you not transform into Glaciator, and attempt to have people melted forever? I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty similar to what happened to my partner. Akumatized, did some things he never would have done, but did, because he was being controlled?"

Andre looked positively terrified and almost on the verge of tears. But Ladybug wasn't finished with him yet. "So you blamed my partner for doing the same things you did, didn't you? You allowed his sacrifices, everything he's done for this city, to be belittled by your customers. You allowed those customers to accuse him of murder. Has anyone ever done those things to you?"

He shook his head.

"I thought not." The superhero turned to the crowd, some of whom had whipped out their phones and were recording the whole event. "And to everyone else in Paris, and especially those people who were here last night- when a person is akumatized, it's because they have feelings, just like every single other person in this city. You are a liar if you say you have never felt sad or angry or frustrated. So when you mock and taunt someone for being akumatized, make them sound evil and monstrous, you need to stop. Take a look at what you're doing. It is _never_ okay. It never will be. They are a victim, who was had their mind and body corrupted by Hawkmoth, who is the true evil in this situation. I'm disappointed in Paris. I thought we had a little more compassion." She took a deep breath. "And it's ridiculous to be cruel to someone for being akumatized when you, too, have been."

The crowd looked shocked. Andre did too, and Ladybug realized that maybe she'd gone a little bit far. "I'm sorry, Andre. I overstepped the mark. I- I shouldn't have humiliated you in public."

He shook his head, still looking stunned. "No you were right," he said heavily. "I was wrong to do those things, and I deserved my punishment. So does everyone else involved in last night's incident, or something similar. Shame on you all." He turned to Ladybug and gave a half smile. "I forgive you."

Ladybug's mouth fell open, but she quickly closed it. "Thank you," she whispered, then turned and walked away.

She needed to get back to school.

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	51. Chapter 51

Adrien kept his eyes trained on the door as Ms. Bustier called attendance. Nothing could have distracted him, not even Chloe 'accidentally' falling onto his desk as she got up to put her gum in the bin. Much to the girl's disappointment, Adrien barely blinked as she sprawled herself over his books.

"Chloe, kindly get off Adrien's desk," said Ms. Bustier tiredly, without removing her gaze from the sheet in front of her. "Mylene?"

"Here."

She continued with the roll and called the final name before looking around the room. "Just Marinette missing, then?"

"I saw her earlier," piped up Nino. "I dunno where she went, though."

"She forgot her pencil case," fibbed Adrien. "She went home to get it."

Ms. Bustier frowned and glanced at her watch. "She really should be back by now. Well, we'll go on without her. Please get out your copies of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ and turn to page three hundred and ninety-"

The door flung open and Marinette barrelled through, her hair coming loose from her pigtails and falling at her shoulders. She stood in the doorway, puffing. The entire class stared at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Sorry, Ms. Bustier," said Marinette. "I had to get something from home."

Ms. Bustier looked at her watch. "I suppose I won't mark you as late. Just this once."

The young girl grinned and began to walk to her desk. "Thanks." She made eye contact with Adrien as she walked past, and gave him a reassuring nod before sliding into the seat beside her best friend. Adrien would have liked to watch her as she redid her hair- it was weirdly hypnotizing to watch- but instead turned around to focus on his teacher. Staring at Marinette was pretty suspicious, and it would be extremely embarrassing if he was caught.

"As I was saying, class, please turn to page three hundred and ninety-four in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. Adrien, if you could please read aloud to the class? _Enter Oberon, King of Fairies_?"

Adrien cleared his throat and looked down at the page in front of him, hoping that this passage of text wouldn't be quite so _Shakespeare-ish._

" _I wonder if Titania be awakened_ ….."

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As soon as Ms. Bustier dismissed class, Adrien was leaping out of his seat, books already clutched to his chest. He was first out the door, with Marinette hot on his heels. The pair raced to the lockers, and arrived before the rest of their classmates had even reached the bottom of the stairs. Hastily, Adrien unlocked his lock and tossed his books inside the locker, grabbed out the ones he needed and put them to the front, then grabbed his food and slammed the door, beating Marinette by just a few seconds, as moments later another loud _bang_ was heard from her direction. They walked over to each other.

"We gotta talk," said Marinette clearly. "But not here." The chatter of their classmates was growing louder by the second. "We'll find a corner in the courtyard."

Adrien nodded and followed his girlfriend out of the room through a side door, evading their classmates nicely. The pair wandered over to a dim and secluded area of the courtyard. It would be difficult for anyone to find them there, and if they were found, well, Adrien was sure they could come up with an excuse.

Marinette rested her back on the wall and slid down, crossing her legs as she took a bite of a cupcake, iced with pink and featuring two small and perfect fondant roses. Adrien slid down beside her, chewing his protein bar. They sat there for a moment, eating.

Adrien decided to take the leap. "So, you exactly happened just then?" he asked.

Marinette swallowed and brushed the icing from her lips. "I-I went to Andre's ice-cream stall, and I yelled at him for what he did." Now that she was saying it aloud, it didn't seem like such a good thing to do.

Adrien stared at her. "What exactly did you say?"

The designer shrugged. "I don't remember exactly. But something about him having been akumatized himself, so it was horrible of him to blame you. And there were other people there, too. I told them off."

The blonde boy gazed at her, this amazing person in front of him. "You defended me?"

"Well, yeah." There was an undertone of regret in her voice. "Are you mad?"

"Mad?" Adrien's eyes went wide. "Of course not, Marinette! I'm really, really grateful for you. You didn't have to do that."

A smile began to creep across the dark-haired girl's face. "What are partners for?"

Adrien smiled and slipped his hand into hers. For a second she was still, and Adrien wondered if it wasn't the right time. Then she wriggled closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, and he relaxed.

Marinette broke the comfortable silence first. "If you wanted to know exactly what I said, I'm sure there's a video somewhere of it. Almost everyone had their phones out."

Adrien nodded. "Maybe someone sent it to Alya."

He felt Marinette tense. "Adrien…" she began slowly.

"Yeah?"

"About Alya. I meant to talk with you about it this morning, but I got distracted. I think we should tell them."

He frowned, shifting slightly. "Weren't we going to?"

"Well, yeah, but we never really specified _when_ ," Marinette reminded him. "I think we should do it now, because if we wait, we'll eventually get more comfortable around them, and it won't seem like a new relationship. Then they'll be mad at us for lying. See what I mean?"

Adrien nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess. But who do we tell first?"

The baker's daughter frowned. "I don't really know. "Alya and Nino, maybe? Then ask them to keep it down until we tell our par-" She caught herself and looked up at her boyfriend. "Do you want to tell your father?" she asked softly.

Adrien stared into space. "I don't know. Do you mind if we ask everyone we tell to keep it down? It's not that he dislikes you, it's just…" He bit his lip. "He might think that it'll be a bad look for the business or something like that."

Marinette wanted to punch Gabriel Agreste but kept this to herself. "Of course, Adrien. Let me know if you're ready to tell him." She squeezed his hand. "You don't have to do this alone," she whispered. "You've got Nino, and Alya and everyone else."

Adrien smiled down at her. "And I've got you." He closed his eyes and leaned down toward her. Marinette wanted to scream in excitement but didn't for the sake of Adrien's eardrums. Instead, she closed her eyes, too and met him in the middle.

It was a sweet kiss, Adrien tasting of honey from his protein bar. It lasted for a while, too, neither person wanting to end it.

But it did end, the two snapping apart when a delighted giggle reached their ears. Adrien felt his stomach drop, as though he was on a rollercoaster and the track had just dipped. He looked around for the giggling sound, wondering where it was coming from and who was making it.

Marinette evidently realized before he did, because she gave a sharp gasp and jumped to her feet, stalking towards the staircase that blocked their view of the courtyard. It also blocked the courtyard's view of them, unless someone went up to the staircase and stared through the railing.

Adrien quickly got to his feet and followed the baker's daughter, his stomach still swooping. They rounded the base of the stairs and stopped, staring. Adrien gaped at the culprit, unable to move. Marinette reacted first, hurling herself at the person.

" _How dare you_!"

Adrien simply stared. He couldn't believe the person in front of him would do such a thing. After all, they'd known each other forever.

Adrien shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. There was no way Chloe would do this to him.

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Marinette was furious. Fuming, enraged, and infuriated, to the point where she was almost hysterical. Her only goal in this was to make Chloe Bourgeois sorry.

Adrien tried to pull her back, grabbing her with his strong arms and attempting to calm her down by talking in a soothing voice, as Marinette spat and hissed at the mayor's daughter, who was backed up against the wall, whimpering.

"You little brat!" whisper-screeched Marinette. "Why the hell would you do this? You're unbelievable!" She launched herself at Chloe once more, fists at the ready. A little voice in the back of her head was telling her that violence wasn't the answer, but Marinette's anger was smothering the voice and stripping all the sense from Marinette.

Just as she was about to give it to Chloe, Ladybug-style, Adrien swooped in and restrained her. Actually, he did more than just restrain her. He pulled Marinette away completely from the blonde girl, dragging her up the stairs and into an empty classroom and she squirmed like a feral cat. She was careful not to hurt her boyfriend in her attempts to get free, though.

"Marinette, calm down," said Adrien firmly, gripping her arms. "You'll regret it if you hit Chloe." Despite the calmness in his tone, Marinette could see how pale he was. She supposed it must have been a pretty big shock to discover that your oldest friend had done something like this. Maybe it didn't seem like that much of a big deal, but this relationship was a _secret_ , and for good reasons. Now one person knew about it, and she had the ability to share it with hundreds, even thousands of people- with evidence to back it up. Marinette hated her privacy being invaded, and this was just too far.

Adrien put her down on a nearby desk with ease, as the dark-haired girl had stopped struggling. He pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, and she gazed up at him. He still wasn't quite the right colour, his golden skin looking far paler than usual. "You okay?" whispered Marinette.

He nodded and ran a hand through his own hair. "I guess. I just feel kind of...betrayed?"

Marinette nodded, and reached for his hand, massaging it. "I get you. I can't believe she would do something like this."

Adrien sighed. "Yeah, me too. I'm just scared of what she'll do with that video. If it was Alya, it wouldn't be so bad. But Chloe loses all common sense when she gets mad. If she gets jealous, she'll go completely crazy. I'm scared that she'll show the video to my father, or post it online."

Marinette bit her lip. She hadn't even thought about the possibility of Chloe showing Gabriel, but she wouldn't put it past the girl to do something like that, especially in a jealous rage. The ore Marinette thought about it, the more likely it seemed. "We have to get her to delete that video," she said at last, still holding her boyfriend's hand.

"I agree," replied Adrien seriously. "And check that she didn't send it to one of her other phones, or laptops."

Marinette blinked. "She has more than one phone?"

"If she wants it, her father gives it to her. One for gaming, one for social media, one for carrying around, one for smashing when her father is slow to meet her demands, then one laptop for schoolwork, one for online shopping, and one for breaking," recited Adrien.

The baker's daughter shook her head, baffled. "That's completely ridiculous. But yeah, we'll have to make sure she hasn't sent it off." She looked up at Adrien ruefully. "We shouldn't have left her."

The boy looked serious. "You needed to calm down," he responded. "I didn't want you making any decisions while you were angry. My mother always said not to make permanent decisions on temporary emotions." He shrugged. "It's good advice." His hand moved to Marinette's hair again, curling a strand around his finger. "And besides...I wanted to kiss you again. This time, with no one watching." His hands cupped Marinette's cheeks, which were sporting a rosy blush. "May I?" he asked.

Marinette nodded, and tilted her face up to meet him. His soft lips pressed against hers, gently at first. They continued to kiss, and Adrien seemed to get desperate. One of his hands left her face and travelled through her hair and down her back. He began to push harder with his lips as Marinette ran her hands through his silky golden hair. Marinette responded by opening her mouth and felt his tongue flicker against hers. She gasped, and opened her lips wider, allowing their kiss to turn into a French one. Adrien let out a small sound, before putting both of his hands on her hips. He picked her up, and the girl wrapped her legs around his waist as they continued to make out.

Adrien didn't seem satisfied with this. He began to move, still holding Marinette, and pushed her back against the wall. She gasped, before Adrien's mouth met hers again. They kissed passionately, Adrien's hands still on her hips. Marinette moved her hands from his hair and began to slowly move them down his body, feeling his muscles. Then they slipped under the hem of his shirt, meeting his abs.

 _DING. DING. DING._

The pair broke apart at the sound of the bell, both flushed and panting. Marinette still had her legs around him, and both were reluctant for her to let go of him. But they still had to find Chloe, and the classroom wouldn't be empty for long. Adrien let Marinette down and gave her a confident smirk.

"How did you like that, my lady?" he asked.

Marinette gazed up at him, beaming. "I loved it," she said breathlessly.

"So did I," he replied. "Next time, we won't be interrupted."

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Chloe Bourgeois sat on one of the courtyard benches, fiddling with her phone. Sabrina was in the library, studying for the English test next week. Chloe had had no wish to socialize with all the peasants in her class, and so she had gone to find her only other friend- Adrien. Turned out Adrien was busy, and when Chloe had recognized that little upstart _Marinette_ as the girl he was kissing, she'd been tempted to storm in there and tear the two apart with her bare hands. But then she had realized that this was a golden opportunity for her. And so Chloe had filmed the pair, planning on using the video for blackmailing purposes.

Then Chloe had slipped up and laughed at her own genius. They must have heard, and boy, Marinette was _not_ happy about being filmed. Chloe had almost feared for her life, but she feared for her hair more. Then Adrien had dragged the little feral away, saving both Chloe's ponytail and her manicure. Did the little baker girl realize how _long_ it took to do her hair?

But Chloe couldn't feel too eased with herself, not after seeing the look on Adrien's face. The only time she could remember him looking so betrayed was after his mother left. She had been his only friend at that time. Would their friendship continue?

Chloe had been planning to get Adrien to break up with Marinette and get together with _her_ , simply by using the video as a threat. But now she wasn't so sure if it was a good idea. Adrien might not even want to be friends with her anymore. Maybe she'd broken his trust completely.

The mayor's daughter just didn't know, which was why she was sitting on a bench in the courtyard, a minute after the warning bell had rung. Usually, her indecisions revolved around a pair of new heels, or which colour her nails should be. She had virtually no experience in indecisions about friendships, and therefore had no idea of what to do.

She stared at her phone, hoping the answer to her problem might be in the bejewelled piece. Unfortunately, she found nothing and was about to get up and walk to class when a shadow fell over her. The blonde girl looked up, expecting Sabrina to be standing over her.

Instead, it was Adrien. Beside him was Marinette. Both had their arms crossed, and neither of them looked happy. Marinette's expression was one of rage and dislike, while Adrien just looked disappointed.

"Delete the video," said Adrien quietly. "Now, Chloe."

She stared up at him, lips trembling. His voice was quiet, but she could tell that he was angry. It was kind of scary- but not quite as scary as the look on Dupain-Cheng's face, which told Chloe that the baker's daughter cared nothing for her highly expensive manicure. The blonde girl gulped and tapped into her camera roll. Friendships could be mended, but if one of her nails broke now, it couldn't be fixed until next week, when Raphael got back from London.

Choe deleted the video.

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Adrien and Marinette broke the news to Alya and Nino first.

The final bell had rung, and Alya and Marinette stood on the stairs outside the school building, waiting for Adrien and Nino. Alya babbled on about one of her Ladyblog- related projects as Marinette scanned the flow of students for a particular boy. Her eyes fell on Adrien's golden mop as he walked beside Nino, talking and laughing.

"Hey, Marinette," Nino greeted her as he approached with his friend. "Hey, Al." He slung his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. Marinette and Adrien looked at each other. They'd decided this during study hall, in the last period. Marinette just hoped they'd made the right decision.

"Alya, Nino," said Adrien nervously. "Marinette and I wanted to tell you guys something."

Alya's head snapped up, and she looked at Marinette excitedly. Marinette smiled shyly in response. Adrien slipped his hand into his girlfriend's and smiled at her. "Marinette and I are dating," he announced.

Alya screamed and threw herself into Marinette's arms, almost smothering her. Nino fist bumped the model, exclaiming, " _Dude_!"

Alya finally let go of Marinette and began to bounce. "For how long?"

"Just today," replied Marinette, glancing at Adrien. It didn't feel right, fibbing to her friends, but this was what they had decided to do.

Alya squealed again, attracting stares from passing students. "I know exactly how to celebrate this!" she cried, grinning at her friends.

Marinette, Adrien, and Nino all looked at her curiously.

"Double date!" announced Alya triumphantly.

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They told Tom and Sabine next, walking into the bakery after finalizing their double date plans with Alya and Nino. Sabine looked up from the till as they walked in, letting out a cry of surprise. "Marinette! Adrien! How lovely to see you!" she said happily, rushing out from behind the counter to hug her daughter and the model. "Tom!" she called. "Adrien and Marinette are here!"

Marinette's father came lumbering out from the back, chocolate splattered all over his apron. "Hello, Adrien!" he boomed, shaking his hand. "Good to see you again, son."

"It's good to see you too, sir," replied Adrien, returning the handshake.

"What brings the two of you here? Do you need to study?" asked Sabine, dusting flour off her apron.

Adrien and Marinette shared a look. "Well, actually," began Marinette. "We have some news."

Sabine gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "You're together?" she cried.

Adrien laughed as Marinette went deep red. "You hit the nail right on the head, Mrs. Cheng," he told her.

Sabine squealed and launched herself at the pair, hugging them both tightly. "Finally!" she said happily. "Marinette's had a crush on you for _years_."

Marinette blushed again as Tom chimed in. "It's true, you know," he told Adrien. "Welcome to the family."

The baker crushed his wife, daughter, and son-of sorts in a hug and Adrien and Marinette smiled, because an amazing thing had come out of all the pain and emotion of the past month.

And that amazing thing was going to last forever.

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AFTERWORD

Adrien and Marinette asked Nino, Alya, Tom, and Sabine to keep the news to themselves for the time being. They went on their double date with Nino and Alya to the movies, with all four of them wearing various subtle disguises, just so the paparazzi wouldn't find Adrien. There may or may not have been some kissing in the dark of the cinema.

Gabriel Agreste doesn't know about his son's girlfriend, and Adrien wants to keep it that way- for now. He plans to eventually come clean to his father when the moment is right.

Ladybug and Chat Noir haven't gone public with their relationship, and don't plan on doing so for a long time. The pair shut down any rumours of a romance on their latest interview with Nadia Chamack, and despite some disappointment from Alya, things have been running smoothly ever since.

Chloe Bourgeois decided to keep the secret. She and Adrien's friendship is hanging by a strand, and Chloe is doing everything she can to keep it from breaking completely. Despite being almost green with jealousy towards Marinette, she is trying to be civil, for the sake of her friendship with Adrien. The video has been well and truly deleted, much to Marinette and Adrien's relief.

Alya posted two videos on the Ladyblog- one of Chat Noir's incident in front of Andre's, and one of Ladybug admonishing both the citizens and Andre. The people of Paris were furious about Chat Noir's treatment, and wholeheartedly agreed that ladybug was right- they shouldn't blame their superheroes for being human.

Master Fu knew about Marinette and Adrien's relationship and agreed that it was best to keep it to themselves as Ladybug and Chat Noir. He's glad Marinette forgave her partner but gave both of them a stern talking to about controlling their emotions. They now meditate with him on a weekly basis, to prevent Hawkmoth from akumatizing them.

Plagg and Tikki are getting along well, and can often be found sharing cheese and cookies while their chosen's spend time together. Plagg has forgiven Adrien for being such an idiot, on the condition that his cheese allowance is doubled, and that he gets to raid Marinette's kitchen whenever he wants. Adrien has agreed, because wherever Plagg goes, he goes too, and there's nothing he likes more than snuggling up to his girlfriend while Plagg eats himself sick.

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 **And we're done! Thank you all for all your support. I didn't expect for this project to take quite so long, but it has been an incredible experience. Thank you to all the reader who left reviews, and constantly made my day so much better. Thank you for all the tips and encouragement. This was a pretty long chapter, but I was determined to finish the fic today. I will continue to write fanfiction, but my next writing project won't be on here and may take a lot of time. I do have some ideas for more Miraculous stories, and I plan on posting at least one in the coming year. If you want to know when I post a new story, I think following my profile will send you an email when I do put a new fic up. I'm not a hundred percent sure, and if someone could clarify in the reviews, that would be great. Once again, thank you all so much for your support. Feel free to give me any tips that will improve me as a writer, so my next story will be better. Bye for now!**


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